Minute 1: Is it possible to run a marathon without humble-bragging?
In the heart of the fall marathon season, Comedy Central just polished up the best running spoof of all time: “The First Person to Run a Marathon Without Talking About It.” This is cringe-worthy stuff for any of us with a prior record of humble-bragging offenses. Self-congratulatory Instagram post, perhaps? Storing your finisher medal in a conspicuous location? Or maybe just boring strangers at cocktail parties with updates on your hill repeats? Against this backdrop, Comedy Central created a mockumentary celebrating one courageous woman who dared to ask: “Why would I have talked about something that’s not interesting to anyone else?”
Minute 2: Paradise lost & found
The California wildfires actually generated a positive story about running this week. One of the top boys on the Paradise H.S. cross country team missed the state championship qualifier because his home was totally destroyed. For several harrowing hours, he and his dad lost all contact with his mom and sister. Figuring his high school running career was over, Gabe Price began focusing on how to move forward despite the destruction caused by the fires. Instead, his coach at Paradise arranged a special one-runner race a few days later just to give Gabe a shot at qualifying for states on the same course everyone else had just run. He expected to run alone against the clock – always a tough task – but Gabe was shocked to find a crowd waiting for him on race day. Rival Chico High School sent their entire squad to cheer him on and even had their top runner pace Gabe. Check out the full story here to see if there was a Hollywood ending or just a nice touch of sportsmanship amidst the chaos.
#ChicoAndTheKid
Minute 3: Motivation to train outdoors as the days get shorter
When daylight hours shrink this time of year, so do our chances to train outdoors. Don’t be afraid of the dark, fellow endurance athletes, embrace it. One way to make nice with the night is to sign up for a race that takes place after sunset. We like this list of The 10 Best Races After Dark just released by Shape. We particularly like the idea of doing one of the New Year’s Eve races on the list. Wake up a little tired and sore rather than hungover to start the New Year.
#MidnightRun
Minute 4: This little piggy stayed warm & dry
Wet, slushy snow kicked open the door to winter in many parts of the U.S. this week. As we shoveled our driveway in Boston this morning, we wondered why we hadn’t invested in a quiver of waterproof socks yet. The technology in this apparel has improved steadily over the past few years, allowing sweat to breathe out while rain and snow stays away from your feet. Here’s a good overview of how these socks can help you and here’s a good selection from REI of some popular models.
#NoColdFeet
Minute 5: Blowing up some “buzzy” sports training trends
We are always fascinated by the intersection of sports performance and mental stamina. A provocative new article by a coach in the USC Performance Lab examines trendy topics and dispels some popular myths, hacks and tricks. Check out his analysis of 3 common sports performance strategies and whether they are valid or not. It may change how you look at “mindfulness.”
#deepthoughts
Minute 6: Daily Inspiration
Killian Jornet is the most successful and audacious trail runner ever. He has won every major ultra race on the planet and did something even more superhuman last year: he climbed Everest twice in one week. As Killian says in a very cool Catalan accent, “I think ultra runners, we are probably much more stupid than other athletes.” Check out the trailer to “Path to Everest,” the movie released this year showing his “much more stupid” Everest exploits.
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