Minute 1: New gear guide launch
Six Minute Mile gear guides just went from backyard BBQ to Shake Shack, thanks to our friend Brian Metzler. Our original staff product recommendations were from the heart, but sometimes the chips were a little stale or the buns were a little charred. Thanks to Brian, our brand new list of 8 Top Running Shoes for Spring has the meat and professionalism of our favorite burger chain. Brian literally wrote the book on running shoes as the author of the very well-reviewed “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture & Cool of Running Shoes.” He is a sports journalist who has tested more than 1,500 pairs of running shoes and has raced every distance from 50 yards to 100 miles. He was the founding editor of Trail Runner and Adventure Sports magazines, senior editor at Running Times, and Editor-in-Chief of Competitor magazine. He has also written for Outside, Runner’s World, Triathlete, Men’s Health, and Men’s Journal. Yeah, he brings a little more professionalism than our staff grabbing a beer with running buddies and asking: “How do you like those shoes?” Stay tuned for more reviews on a wide range of gear from Brian over the few weeks. And if you bump into Brian on the trails of Boulder, please don’t tell him that we are just a scrappy little newsletter that survives more on fun than finance. #ShakeItUp
Minute 2: We’ll keep wearing exercise clothes while we work from home if we darn well please!
Last Friday, Los Angeles Times Deputy Fashion Editor Adam Tschorn got out the ol’ hot take cannon and fired off a spicy column aimed at those of us who wear athletic apparel like it’s our job. You may want to sit down for this one. Tschorn, who describes his personal style as somewhere between Vermont casual and California preppy (ummm, what?), sat down at his keyboard and came up with a post titled “Enough with the WFH sweatpants. Dress like the adult you’re getting paid to be.”
How ‘bout “No,” Adam.
Having the freedom to wear the most comfortable clothes all day long, transitioning from pajamas to running gear and back to pajamas in the evening has been one of the great guilty pleasures of the whole quarantine. Eventually, we’ll all have to go back to normal and iron our khakis and button down shirts, but for now, let’s all just enjoy our sweatpants and running shirts. And, if you’re running low on comfy clothes, or are ready to completely ditch the office job after seeing the light these past few weeks, Wirecutter has a good list of the best clothes to wear while working remotely.
Minute 3: Is this the right time to try out a professional running coach?
As Mickey said to Rocky in this clip from 1976: “What you need is a manager. A manager. Listen to me.” It worked pretty well for the Italian Stallion’s boxing career, so maybe the same concept applies to your running. With coaches separated from their school coaching gigs, this might be the best time ever to sign up a personal coach. Start off by taking this quick self-assessment from Active that will help you zero in on your professional coaching needs. And remember, hiring a coach isn’t just for newbies. Even the most self-aware Olympians typically work with a coach to devise their training plans. Having a good coach in your corner can keep you accountable and motivated, according to this story from Podium Runner. They’ll help you narrow your goals and experience the full joy of running because you’ll likely see continual improvement and faster times. The best coaches will even take your own input and incorporate it into the training plan. If you’d like to start slow, or just see what a professional coaching schedule is all about, head over to the Golden Coast Track Club’s website, where elite coach Terrence Mahon has plans ready for runners of all ability levels ranging from 5k to the marathon. #GonnaFlyNow
Minute 4: Update on our favorite new food company
Two weeks ago, we shared our informal taste test of products from a new healthy food company whose stuff is flying off the shelves at Whole Foods. New Primal sells turkey, chicken and beef-based products along with some pretty amazing sauces that are much healthier than typical marinades or BBQ sauces. They also provide an enticing library of healthy recipes like Citrus Zest Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower. With plenty of time to kill during the quarantine, we reached out to the company and were happy to get the founder, Jason Burke, on the phone. Jason is an avid CrossFitter who began focusing on clean eating after some family health scares. He shared that his customers are health conscious folks who pay much more attention to the ingredient list than the flavor claims made on product packaging. The fact that New Primal stuff tastes great is an added bonus for their followers. When we mentioned that his customers sounded a lot like our readers, Jason quickly volunteered a 15% off coupon for Six Minute Mile readers. So if you’re looking to spice up your at-home meals (are there any other kind of meals right now???), you should hit up their website and use the code SMM15. Editor’s note: We could potentially make dozens of dollars here in referral fees. Have we hit the big time or what?!?! #JerkyBoys
Minute 5: Quick Intervals
If you’re like a few members of our team, something about the idea of a virtual race just doesn’t ring true. That’s why we appreciate the simplicity of a movement that’s taking hold in the UK. This Sunday, April 26, was supposed to have been the 40th running of the London Marathon. Instead of moping about their postponement, the race organizers launched a charity drive that encourages people to do something around the number “26.” It could be a 2.6 mile run, 26 push-ups or doing a Zoom workout with 26 friends. Check out the details of the 2.6 Challenge here and be sure to use #TwoPointSixChallenge when you share your activity.
Moving the Tokyo Olympics to 2021 due to the coronavirus is going to be a logistical nightmare for the organizing committee and the IOC, but it’s also going to be a huge financial burden as well. Early estimates have pegged the cost of shuffling the games to next summer at anywhere between $2-6 billion, and unfortunately for Japanese taxpayers, their country will be stuck footing most of the bill. To make matters worse, there’s no guarantee the Olympics will even go ahead next year! Too bad no one in charge of the Tokyo games had the foresight to grab a pandemic insurance policy to help cover some of their losses. (BTW, Wimbledon will collect $141 million on a similar policy.) You just know the guy who kept paying for that policy every year is off somewhere giving himself the biggest pat on the back.
Here’s a pretty neat idea out of Oakland, CA, that’s making life easier for runners, bikers and walkers in the midst of this unprecedented situation. Mayor Libby Schaaf has announced a “slow streets” initiative that will shut down over 70 miles of active roadway in the city to create more space for people to exercise. We offer a distant tip of the cap to this creative way to make it easier for people to get outside safely.
Minute 6: Daily Inspiration
April 21 marks the sixth anniversary of Meb Keflezighi coming from nowhere to win the 2014 Boston Marathon, the first running of the race after the bombing. Entering the race, the 38-year-old was an absolute afterthought. The gutsy veteran, however, ran away from the field early and held on for dear life, becoming the first American to win the race since 1983 and the oldest winner in the race’s modern history. This 2 minute video highlight had our spines tingling and looking forward to the first September version of the Boston Marathon in history.