Making running fun…by making fun of it
For years, I’ve watched from afar with great interest as running media including Believe in the Run, Kofuzi, Road Trail Run, and others cover exciting running innovations and insights, showcased at The Running Event. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, the industry’s “premier run and outdoor specialty retail conference and trade show” is the event to witness the evolution of running. This week, I’m getting up-close and personal with the event in Austin, TX by attending with a press badge.
I have a lot to be thankful for in 2023, both on and off the roads. With Thanksgiving around the corner (best of luck in dealing with your relatives), I figured I’d spend a blog post detailing why I’m thankful for running (and more) and sharing it with complete strangers like you. After all, gratitude helps us feel positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve health, and more. I can’t fit everything I’m thankful for into this post, so I chose six, in no particular order.
Like most children growing up, I never could’ve dreamed I’d be running marathons. I mean, I never thought I’d even be running, period. Like, who chooses to run for fun? But, thanks to my dad, I was introduced to the wonderful sport at just the right time in my life. It would take awhile to stick with it, but once I did, my relationship to sports—and life—changed forever.
As a running shoe geek, I’ve always wanted to be a fly on the wall in meetings of running shoe companies. Fortunately, I was able to sneak in a recorder underneath the conference room table at the headquarters of a running shoe company. You’re in for a treat! The following is the conversation of company executives discussing running shoe names for their newest pair. Ready to listen to how the sausage is made?
It’s been a week since I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying the brief respite from running as part of my marathon recovery. After a marathon — and 18 long, intense weeks of training — it’s nice to plop myself on the couch and not worry about when I’ll go running—or do any exercise. It’s very tough returning to running after a marathon. Just as with the 26.2 mile distance, marathon recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. Here’s how I recover.
Runners sure are picky about their shoes—and rightfully so. With several shoe models from many different brands at our feet, we’d be foolish not to build our running shoe rotation wisely. But how can we be sure what’s right for our feet, biomechanics, and ego? Use these great running shoe pairs to add excitement and variation to your runs.