April 18, 2024

Walk This Way

 

MARK SISSON IN HIS PELUVAS

I first met Mark Sisson in 2016 at The XPT Experience, a 3-day immersive sports performance clinic programmed with workouts and lectures on the cutting-edge training, nutrition, and recovery practices of top elite and professional athletes. XPT was founded by famed big wave surfer Laird Hamilton and his wife, former pro volleyball player Gabby Reece. One of the guest speakers that particular XPT was Mark Sisson, creator of The Primal Blueprint and a line of paleo/keto products called Primal Kitchen.

Sisson began his journey as a competitive endurance athlete, and has evolved into a world-renowned authority on optimal health, fitness, and performance. The Primal Blueprint was published in 2009 and essentially put the Paleo diet on the map. This groundbreaking primer adapted the lifestyle practices of our hunter-gatherer ancestors to a modern-day nutritional program. His blog MarksDailyApple, launched in 2006, became recognized as the primary resource for information on ancestral health, and Sisson has written several best-selling books based on the ancestral diet and lifestyle.

The “Primal” or Paleo diet is high in protein and healthy fats; low in carbohydrates; and specifically eliminates certain food groups like grains, legumes, dairy, sugar, and anything else that were not available in Paleolithic ancestral times. As a result our bodies learn to burn fat for fuel, our own supply as a bonus, instead of carbohydrates. Paleo and the similar high protein/low carb Keto diet, exploded in popularity with the health and weight loss benefits people experienced — as did Primal Kitchen, Sisson’s line of supplements and condiments that made this way of eating taste delicious. Primal Kitchen was purchased in 2019 by Heinz for approximately $200 million looking to capitalize on this trend. Read More

 

February 2, 2024

Masters Swimming

 

MASTERS SWIMMING AT ASPHALT GREEN

 
Contrary to what you might think, Masters Swimming is not just for master swimmers. In fact it’s for everyone, swimmers of all levels, as I learned last week at Asphalt Green where I trained with the AGUA Masters swim team for week 3 of 52 Weeks of Fitness.

“Masters Swimming is for anyone 18 and over. At Asphalt Green we’re really trying to welcome everyone, from someone who just learned how to swim to former Olympians”, says Jim Wu Head Coach AGUA Masters. “We try to incorporate workouts that will appeal to all levels.” AGUA Masters swim team is dedicated to helping adult swimmers improve their swimming by developing better technique, fitness, and endurance through structured group instruction and training.

The last time I was on a swim team, I think I was 12 or 13. I still swim regularly but recreationally, not very far or particularly fast. I had seen the AGUA Masters team practicing at Asphalt Green where I am a member, their workout written out on the white board, and thought it looked like a fun way to increase both my distance and speed. Read More

 

January 27, 2024

Winter Layers: Cold Outside Warm Inside

 

CLICK ABOVE FOR SHOPPING LINKS

Don’t let a little cold weather stop you from going out for a run or enjoying your other favorite outdoor activities. Winter can be one of the most beautiful seasons to train outside when you have the right gear. We’ve got the layers you need to stay warm, dry, and looking good out there!

 
LEFT COLUMN: TRACKSMITH BRIGHTON BASE LAYER $88; ARC’TERYX ESSENT WARM HIGH-RISE LEGGING $140; NIKE INFINITYRN 4 GORETEX $185; MIDDLE COLUMN: SMITH MOTIVE RUNNING SUNGLASSES $185; THE NORTH FACE WOMEN’S MASHUP INSULATED JACKET $130; SMARTWOOL SMARTLOFT VEST $185; RIGHT COLUMN: HOUDINI 100% LAMBSWOOL TOP HAT $70; CRAFT HYBRID WEATHER GLOVE 39.99; DARN TOUGH WOMENS ELEMENT 2-PACK (1 ANKLE & 1 CREW) MERINO SOCKS $40

 

January 1, 2024

52 Weeks of Fitness! Tennis Everyone?

 

 

Welcome to Week 1 of 52 Weeks of Fitness! Unlike my usual January marathon of 31 Days of Fitness, with a different sport, workout, or wellness activity every day, I’m stretching it out through the year with one new thing every week. That’s 52 different health and fitness activities in the year to come. We’re kicking it off with tennis. The first major of the year, the Australian Open, starts next week and I’m tuning up my game…

While everyone has been talking about Pickleball, tennis is alive and well, and you’re never too old to learn. Group adult instruction programs and classes like Drill & Play and Cardio Tennis are offered for all levels at almost any tennis club, at many of which you don’t need to be a member to join a class. It’s a fun and social approach to the game, with a non-stop format that makes it a great workout too. Read More

 

November 24, 2023

Everyday Carry

 

CLICK ABOVE FOR SHOPPING LINKS

Everyday Carry or “EDC” is a new category of accessories. They are tools and gadgets you carry in your pocket or bag for everyday use and emergencies like a knife, pen, flashlight, and multitool. Watches fall into the EDC category as well. But why not throw in a mini massage gun, folding sunglasses, and other fun stuff. Here are a few things from our everyday kit, and they make perfect stocking stuffer gifts too.

 
LEFT COLUMN: LARQ BOTTLE FILTERED $58. A revolutionary water bottle that integrates high-performance Nano Zero filter technology and flip-up sip top. THERAGUN MINI $149. The power of Theragun percussion therapy is packed into this ultra-portable, mini massage gun; PERSOL 714 ORIGINAL FOLDING SUNGLASSES $335. Introduced in the 1960s, the Persol 714 are the first-ever folding sunglasses. SHINOLA + FISCHER SPACE PEN WITH LIGHTENING BOLT $60. You might not take it to space, but the Fisher Space Pen has been to the moon and back, with perfect ink flow in any direction.
Read More

 

October 14, 2023

The E-Street Bike

 

 

EROY ARC HERO $4999

88 miles estimated range

 

You may have noticed beefed up ebikes around town, looking more like motorcycles than bicycles. Because they have pedals, these battery powered electric motorbikes are considered e-bikes and not motorcycles, and can be powered with either pedal assist or the hand throttle. These new e-motorbikes offer a whole lot of style with added power and stability, but how do you know what to look for if you’re in the market to purchase one?

For some basic info, there are 3 classes of ebikes:

Class 1: Provides assistance only when you pedal up to 20 mph (the max speed allowed in bike lanes)
Class 2: Equipped with a throttle in addition to pedal assistance up to 20 mph.
Class 3: Provides assistance only when you pedal up to 28 mph

We spoke to LAST MILE NY which sells a selection of e-motorbikes — along with other ebikes, scooters, and electric skateboards — who provided a few other things to consider:

Miles on a single charge… or the estimated range is most important thing, not necessarily top speed. As an FYI, the max speed allowed for an ebike is 28 mph, although the limit is 20mph if you’re riding in the bike lane.

After market support… the reason Last Mile carries the brands they do is that it’s really easy to get parts from them and service the bikes. It’s really important to make sure you have components that are up to date and can be replaced if need be. Read More

 

September 18, 2023

Like Pickleball? Try Padel

 

PADEL HAUS

It’s hard to miss the pickleball craze that has swept the country in the last few years. Nearly everywhere you look, courts have popped up in parks, schoolyards, driveways, and other open spaces. CityPickle took over Wollman Rink in New York City’s Central Park this summer with 14 courts.

But a few weeks ago I was strolling along the waterfront in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and I saw four packed padel courts in Domino Park at a place called Padel Haus. While pickleball may be the fastest growing sport in America with over 36 million participants (Association of Pickleball Professionals), padel is actually the fastest growing sport in the world with over 25 million players (International Federation of Padel).

Padel is like a hybrid of tennis and squash. The sport originated in 1969 in Acapulco, Mexico. Like pickleball, it is played with a paddle, but one that is thicker, perforated, and with a slightly different shape. Unlike pickleball, the ball is not plastic, but a tennis ball. The court is bigger, roughly half the size of a tennis court, and enclosed with glass walls. What makes the sport really fun is you can play the ball off the back wall, adding a new and challenging element to the game. Like pickleball, padel is quick and easy to learn, making it as fun and addictive of a sport to play. Read More

 

August 18, 2023

Keeping Pace with Kara Goucher

 

 

American long-distance runner, Olympian Kara Goucher is used to running 135 miles a week, but these days it’s about 20 miles, and that’s in a good week. A few years ago, after multiple falls — one of them into oncoming traffic — and a loss of sensation in her left foot, Kara was diagnosed with Repetitive Movement Dystonia, a neurological movement disorder.

ALTRA, Kara’s shoe sponsor, has just released the ALTRA Paradigm 7 in a special colorway, along with a $50,000 donation to Dystonia research. $5 from every pair sold of Kara’s signature “Hope” color edition will benefit the Bachmann-Strauss Fellowship in Dystonia Research, a part of The Michael J. Fox Foundation whose mission is to grow the global base of researchers studying the movement disorder dystonia and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

“I think when I see someone wearing the colorway I’ll probably freak out a little bit” said Kara. “It will be pretty cool to know someone cared enough to buy that color way and their money is going to go to help other people.”

Unafraid of a challenge, Kara is also the author of the recently published book, The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team. Kara was the star witness who brought down Alberto Salazar, the now-disgraced Nike running coach who was the head of an elite team known as the Nike Oregon Project. What seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime, Kara revealed became for her and other female athletes, a culture of misogynistic abuse, and one that pushed the limits of anti-doping rules. Read More

 
 

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