As I step out into the chilly air, I can feel the weight of the past year bearing down on my shoulders. My Achilles tendon still aches, a constant reminder of the injury that has slowed me down for so long. And yet, despite the pain and the setbacks, I lace up my shoes and begin to run. It’s the first day of a new year, and I am determined to make it a successful one.
A lot of sports and outdoor companies have built up teamlike communities—like Asics› FrontRunners or On’s Running Crew. Most of them support their members with events or gear and excpect them to be brand ambassadors in return. The North Face now has set up such a programm too, which, however, has a slightly different focus.
Have you ever had an idea while you were running? If so, you’re not alone. Like taking a shower or going for a walk, running is one of those activities that stimulate creativity. «The hours we spend on our feet have a way of unlocking ideas that would otherwise be out of reach,» so it says in a text about the «Tracksmith Fellowship». The independent running brand from New England has designed this program to support runners with creative ambitions. But why?
For many people the Corona pandemic is hitting closer to home. In the last weeks I have come across a lot of Instagram posts by runners who have contracted with the virus or who are instructed to quarantine themselves. And while most people who catch the disease experience mild symptoms, many report feeling short of breath and sluggish for weeks afterward. But you all know what runners are like: they want to return to track or trail, and that sooner rather than later. I have found several articles providing tipps for your comeback after infection. First, the good news: the two go together, «exercise plays a crucial role in recovery,» as Manuela Callari writes in a piece for The Guardian: «Sleep and rest help your immune system to fight the disease but it is critical to start moving again to avoid further weakening of your body about seven days after the major symptoms have disappeared.»
It’s no secret that I have a crush on Finland and therefore devour every article I can find about this country. When, in addition, journalists write about Finland and running, I am hooked. So let me recommend a piece written by Liam Boylan-Pett for the Løpe Magazine about an inimitable runner from the north, Paavo Nurmi, and his U.S. tour in 1924 and 1925. Boylan-Pett reconstructs his journey and all the races he ran. Like this one in the Madison Square Garden in New York.