MAY 5, 2023
Minute 1: Running is better together
As the Zach Galifianakis character says in his famous speech in The Hangover, he is happiest when he’s part of a group. You know, just “four of us wolves, running around the desert together, in Las Vegas.” For any runners out there who feel like they’re a lone wolf, we hope you consider the benefits of joining a pack, like Alan did. There’s nothing quite like having company during long, difficult endurance workouts to make the time fly by, according to: “Why You Should Join A Run Club – Even If You’re New To Running.” Running in a group can boost your motivation, help you stick to your training plan, and meet like-minded individuals who share your passions. Not only that, but it will also expose you to new ideas, routes, and events you would otherwise miss. That’s according to “9 Great Benefits Of Running In Groups.” When you’re together, you’ll hold each other accountable and keep each other safe by improving your visibility. So, how do you find a running group that suits your needs? You can start by looking online with sites like the “Road Runner’s Club of America.” There, you can search for clubs by state to find the details and contact info for each group. If you’d rather make a face-to-face connection, heading to your local running store can be an effective way to find nearby clubs. Many times that store will have its own running club, but if it doesn’t, they should have local ideas. Here is one list of the “50 Best Running Retailers In America” to get you started on where to look.
Minute 2: You can still set goals when you aren’t at your fastest
Life isn’t always fair to aging runners. (Or as we like to say, seasoned veterans of the sport.) Slower metabolisms, slower times, and slower recoveries from injuries conspire against us. Even if your peak performances are behind you, that doesn’t mean you can’t pursue meaningful and motivating goals. This piece from Canadian Running provides some healthy perspective: “Setting running goals when you’re slowing down.” No, you may never crush the 5k PR you set in your 20s, but your endurance and patience could be better than ever. Put it to the test by seeing how far you can run, rather than how fast. If you want proof it can be done, just look at Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami, who didn’t start running until his mid 30s. In his 2008 memoir, which Sports Illustrated called “A brilliant meditation on how his running and writing nurture and sustain each other,” Murakami tells a story about his longest race ever – a 100K ultramarathon he ran in his late 40s. He wouldn’t have gotten there without a “seasoned” approach to goal setting. If you’re looking for other general goal-setting tips, take a look at: “The Importance, Benefits, and Value of Goal Setting.” The article dives into the nuance of goal-setting styles, like whether you’re after self-mastery or strong performance relative to your peers, and it’s valuable insight into how to effectively create motivation.
Minute 3: Train like a boss for a quick 5K finish
Love him or loathe him, there’s no denying that Mark Zuckerberg is effective with his time. Having founded Facebook at age 19, his schedule has been pretty booked up for the last 20 years. Despite that, Mark has found a way to stay fit with a number of activities, and he even ran a pretty impressive 5K time just last week: “Mark Zuckerberg Ran a 19:34 5K, Credits His New Exercise Routine.” The CEO said he used Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training to develop both strength and stamina. Those are just a few of the “Top 12 Health Benefits of Martial Arts.” All that kicking, punching, and grappling is sure to get your body out of its comfort zone, improving your mobility, flexibility, and reflexes as well. There are a few mental benefits as well, and proponents of martial arts believe they’re a great way to instill feelings of self-confidence and discipline. In fact, it should come as no surprise that a lot of the highest performing CEOs are physically active themselves according to: “The most successful corporate chieftains are marathon runners.” By comparing the market value and book value of various companies, researchers determined that marathoner CEOs added about 5% greater value to their company when compared to their less active counterparts. It seems that if you can handle the blisters and bonking of endurance racing, hostile board meetings should be a walk in the park.
Minute 4: Shoe Review: Salomon Aero Glide ($160)
Even a casual reader of Brian Metzler’s shoe reviews knows that Brian is an avid trail runner. So when a new Salomon review landed in our inbox this week, we naturally assumed he was going to give us the specs on a new model from this top tier trail running brand. Instead, we were surprised to learn that Salomon has hit it out of the park with the new Aero Glide that is actually built for pavement pounding. You can check out Brian’s full review of the Salomon Aero Glide on our website, but the highlights are below.
“Salomon?” you ask yourself. “Isn’t that a trail running brand?” Yes, it certainly is. But it’s been making road running shoes since about 2016, and some quite good ones in the past couple of years. The Aero Glide, a new surprisingly light max-cushioned everyday trainer, is one of the best road running models it’s ever produced and, by far, my favorite. It’s not exceptionally flashy and really doesn’t have many bells and whistles in its feature set, but its lightweight vibe and consistency are two of the main reasons I keep lacing it up.
What’s New: The Aero Glide is built with a small number of components and a very clean design. The Energy Foam midsole is a lightweight, responsive material made from EVA and Olefin that provides best-in-class cushioned-to-weight ratio. There’s also a grippy rubber outsole material and a uniquely styled engineered mesh upper that is supportive (with help from a light and lean TPU overlay) and a little stretchy, but also exceptionally breathable. Each of those high-quality components are great, but it’s the sum of those parts (and how they interact) that makes this shoe so extraordinary.
Why It’s Great: While it can be a very good everyday trainer with some amount of versatility, it’s really a great long run training shoe. It’s light and well-cushioned with excellent shock-absorbing capabilities and a little bit of energy return, but it’s great because it’s so reliable and consistent and it feels great mile after mile. I’ve run a 12-miler in Aero Glides and it felt as good toward the end of that run as it did when I laced them up and headed out the door. It’s capable of spontaneous fartlek runs and moderate tempo runs, but it’s best for cruisey longer runs in the mid-range of your speed spectrum (i.e. Zone 2 training).
Those are the bullet points, but to get the full memo on the new Salomon Aero Glide, you can check out Brian’s review here.
Minute 5: Quick Intervals
Vitamin companies often imply that by swallowing their stuff, you can offset a lot of other bad food choices in your life. Many doctors have pushed back on that notion, saying that unless you’ve explicitly been diagnosed with a deficiency, your multivitamin may not improve much at all. How do you know if they’ll be of any use to you? The best option would be to speak to a medical professional, but you should also watch out for these: “4 Sneaky Signs You Might Need a Multivitamin.”
How many of you have been defaulting to the same one or two speed workouts for months? If you need ideas to shake things up, we came across these interval workouts that can be done on a track, hill, or treadmill: “10 Sprint Workouts That Use Speed Intervals to Make You Faster.”
Whether you’re catching up on lost sleep, recovering from a hard workout, or preparing for a busy afternoon, naps can be a major productivity booster – provided you don’t sleep for too long. Research has found there could be negative consequences to your afternoon siesta, so to keep your naps as healthy as possible, read: “You snooze, you lose: why long naps can be bad for your health.” If you’re concerned that it will take you longer to fall asleep than you’ll actually spend napping, check out this guide from Healthline: “How to Fall Asleep in 10, 60, or 120 Seconds.”
Minute 6: Daily Inspiration
We’re all familiar with legendary sports rivalries and bad blood that has raised the stakes of competition. It makes for good sports talk radio content, but what about when the opposite happens? Competitors that push each other so far, they can’t help but develop a mutual respect that transcends the competition itself. If you want to see what we mean, just look back 42 years, when Dick Beardsley and Inge Simonsen crossed the London Marathon finish line together, hand in hand. After battling it out for for several miles, the two exchanged a meaningful glance and decided that it was best to share in the glory. They did exactly that, becoming the first and only joint winners of the London Marathon. Their win is a reminder that ultimately, our competition should bring us together, not push us apart. Watch this remarkable display of sportsmanship in the link below.
