Friday Thrive

Happy Friday! Each week, Friday Thrive rounds up some of my favorite articles, gear, and more from the week. Here’s this week’s! 

Gear

We needed a second running leash, so I went onto Ruffwear’s website to order the same leash we have for Ollie – the Slackline leash. I was so excited to see that it had been updated to fix the one feature I did not care for – the waist clip – for a more secure buckle. The new leash worked like a charm for a quick progression run with Ollie yesterday: it felt secure on my waist and the adjustment did not budge even when he tried to sprint in pursuit of some birds. (The older leash will be used for Charlie, who does not pull nearly as hard as Ollie does). 

Run

I have been alternating between the Saucony Kinvara 8 and the Saucony Freedom ISO. The Kinvaras were my primary shoe for long runs, hard workouts, and races and I wore the Freedoms on my easy runs. Lately, though, I’ve been reaching for my Freedoms for more runs. The soles are grippy, providing fantastic traction (especially as the January rains have commenced), the fit is snug without being restrictive, and the shoe is simultaneously minimal and energetic yet cushioned. The price tag is higher than most shoes, but I’ve worn this shoe through marathon training and have not noticed any significant wear. 

Ski

My newest fascination is skijoring. Skijoring consistents of harnessing your dog to your waist while cross-country skiing…almost like a dog sled/cross-country ski combination.  There are actually skijoring trails at some of the Sno-Parks nearby! If the gear wasn’t so expensive, I would probably do it with Ollie. I think he would love skijoring! 

But for now, I’m going to stick to dog-free skiing. We have our second ski lesson this weekend and, next month, we are venturing back down to Bend, OR for a weekend of skiing, craft beer drinking, and running. 

Read

“How to Survive the Most Frigid Winter Runs” by Alex Hutchinson

Winters in Seattle are humid (this week, the humidity was 90-96% on my morning runs). And while I may gripe about the humidity, I have realized it does make winter running easier. When Ryan and I were running in the cold and dry air of Saint Louis last weekend, I found the dry air more uncomfortable than the bitterly cold temperatures. 

This article covers the basics but serves as a worthwhile refresher. I saw it on Facebook before we headed out for our very cold and dry run and remembered to cover up my mouth with my Buff to humidify the air as I breathed. It’s the little things that make a difference when running in the cold! 

Eat

I’m not a fan of restrictive New Year’s diets. This article from Runner’s World – The Food Resolutions You Should be Making” – offers a breath of fresh air from the normal weight-loss oriented resolutions. The suggestions including nailing your long run nutrition, removing Instagram accounts that leave you feeling bad about food, and eating enough carbs – all things that we as runners should focus on to perform and feel our best. 

[Tweet “Catch up with this week’s Friday Thrive from @thisrunrecipes featuring this week’s favorites from @ruffwear @saucony @outsidemagazine and more! #runchat”]

What shoes are you running in currently?