Minute 1: Sad news from the Cleveland Marathon
Taylor Ceepo had just graduated from Walsh University in Ohio this month where she played on the women’s soccer team. She decided to take a 26.2 victory lap by running last Sunday’s Cleveland Marathon. What should have been an ecstatic finish to her college career turned tragic when Ceepo collapsed about a mile from the finish of the marathon. Temperatures hit 80 degrees and more than 60 people wound up seeking medical treatment that day. No other details have been released. Overall, running marathons is relatively safe, with a fatality rate of 0.8 per 100,000 participants. Triathlons experience about twice that rate. Most of these tragedies involve heart problems. A UK publication provided this analysis after deaths in the London Marathon in recent years.
#runfortaylor
Walsh University issued a touching tribute to Taylor Ceepo on Instagram:
It is with great sadness that our Walsh family has lost one of our own, Taylor Ceepo, too soon.
To all of our Cavaliers out there…please pray for Taylor, her family, Women's Soccer teammates and coaches during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/m2uhYrWhkw
— Walsh Athletics (@WalshCavaliers) May 20, 2019
Minute 2: Celebrating Memorial Day by Sweating and Swiping
Memorial Day Weekend is synonymous with American heroes and big running events, including one of our favorites – Bolder Boulder. What’s not to love about 50,000 runners having a blast in one of the best endurance towns in the world? The history of the first 40 years of the race mirrors the explosion of running in America and all of the genuine characters that logged those 6.2 miles. We also like Memorial Day Weekend because some of our favorite retailers drop their prices just as we’re gearing up for summer adventures. The REI sale will outfit you in style for summer fun. The Backcountry.com sale offers up to 50% off on summer gear and leftovers from their winter inventory. We offer our own contribution to the consumer retail economy with our 12 favorite running/GPS watches.
#retailtherapy
Minute 3: Are trail runners lazy?
Outside Online was deleted from the Favorites list of many trail runners this week. Aiming for more clicks than a spammy “Celebrity Plastic Surgery Gone Wrong” Outbrain post, the respected sports publication chafed a whole lot of their readers with a story titled “Trail Runners Are Lazy Parasites.” The Outside author argues that trail runners volunteer for trail work at a lower rate than other outdoor athletes like mountain bikers. The alleged parasites are none too pleased. While the facts are flimsy, this wacky story at least reminds us that we all owe some time back to the trails, parks and forests we enjoy.
Minute 4: Mom was right about your posture
Our doctor once told us he is convinced there is a connection between the X chromosome and telling people to stand up. Wives and mothers have been telling their families for generations to stand up straight and stop slouching in your chair. Well it turns out that Mom’s instincts were spot on. Bad posture doesn’t just make you look like a slacker, it affects your breathing, athletic performance and mood. We learned why in this new story: Good Posture Matters Even More Than You Think. Bowing our heads to the almighty iPhone isn’t just frying our brains, it’s adding decades to our postures. We like the author’s advice to have a friend use your smartphone for a better cause – take a picture of you standing and sitting in your normal position. We tried it and didn’t like the results.
#shouldersback
Minute 5: Overworked, but running strong
If you think achieving work/life balance is tough, just be happy that you aren’t a tech worker in China. Jack Ma, the country’s richest man and founder of Alibaba, says that the 996 culture is a “blessing.” 996 refers to a Chinese tech culture of working from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm 6 days per week. At least one American commentator endorses this strategy. Somehow these overworked folks are finding time to take up running in record numbers. Runner’s World chronicled the boom in the number of marathons and trail races that has made China the fastest growing market for running events in the world.
#outrunningamerica
Minute 6: Daily Inspiration
Picture your friend who works harder in the gym than anyone else you know. Multiply their intensity by about 3 and that’s Brooklyn Sittner from Billings, Montana. Why is that so remarkable? Because Brooklyn is an 11-year-old girl who is lighting up the interwebs with her workouts. Her dad is a gym owner who is helping her train for the day she finally turns 14 and can enter CrossFit competitions.
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