Fast Five

It was a somewhat quiet week here at StrideBox HQ, but we’re ready for the weekend… so here it is, this weeks FAST FIVE…

1. What To Watch This Weekend: US Indoor Track Championships
After the Milrose games earlier this year, we’ve become big fans of the Indoor Track scene, and this weekend is sure to delight with the US Indoor Championships in New Mexico. This event chooses the team for next months World Indoor Championships in the UK. You can check out the participant list, watch on NBC Sports Gold, or get your tickets to attend.

2. How Many Calories Are Winter Olympians Eating?
At StrideBox, we are always interested in what, and how much athletes of all kinds are eating, so when we saw this article and graphic showcasing how much Winter olympians were eating, we can’t help but be obsessed. Some are eating as few as 1300… others are eating 7000+. Check it out here.

3. Have You Heard Of The Motigo App?
The Motigo App has been around for a couple years, but recently it has been becoming much more popular and partnering with many races including the 2018 Big Sur, and the Marine Corps Marathon. The best thing about this app is that your friends and family can record sayings and motivation for you that will play at a certain mile in the race. For The Marine Corps Historic Half, participants will get messages about the history of the Marine Corps and the race.

4. Can “Carb-Rinsing” increase your performance?
There’s been a lot of debate about the practice and efficacy of “Carb Rinsing”or swishing a carbohydrate rinse in your mouth immediately before performing activity. A recent study shows that carb-rinsing increased performance in the test group in many areas including jumping height, bench pressing, and sprint times. Some say that the effect is all placebo, but in this competitive world, even small boosts in performance can be the difference.

5. Custom Fit Waterproof In-Ear Headphones.
Here’s one for the Triathletes and swimmers… Many of today’s waterproof earphones rely on bone conduction technology, but H2O Audio has created a custom fit waterproof in-ear earbud. The custom fit comes from a mold taken at an audiologist, the mold is sent to H2O audio and the technology is fit inside. Still, you’ll need a waterproof MP3 player, or H2O Audio’s waterproof phone case, as these only come in a corded headphone… for now.

1. Hawaii Is Trying To Ban Youth Runners From Competing?!
A new Senate Bill in Hawaii is looking to prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from participating in long-distance endurance events in the state. The measure is being introduced to curb issues such as overuse injuries in youth. The president of the Honolulu Marathon, Jim Barahal said “it’s not only a safe activity, it’s something that’s going to make people healthier for life.” We agree Jim.

2. Is Plogging The New Running Fad?
Stemming from origins in Sweden, Plogging seems to be picking up steam across the running world.
Plogging is a combination of running and picking up litter, and has become quite popular in Sweden as well as other parts of the world. It’s no surprise this comes from Sweden, as the country is almost waste free.
All you need is your running shoes, and a garbage bag.

3. Why Do We Run 100 Miles?
Billy Yang runs UltraMarathons (100 miles+). Billy Yang also makes awesome films on his YouTube Channel. He teamed up with Gu Energy to answer the big question of WHY in his latest video and documents his journey during the Leadville Trail 100 Run. Even though 100 miles may not be for you, the 30 minute documentary is a beautiful documentary/video essay on the WHY.

4. Andrew Wheating Shares His Post Running Career Life.
Andrew Wheating, a world class 800/1500 runner who retired in early Januaryhas always been known for his personality on and off the track. We’ve always wondered what professional runners do after their careers… Andrew Wheating shared a little video of what he’s been up to in the past month. It’s definitely a humorous look at a post-running life. Keep being you, Andrew.

5. A Treadmill Training Alternative To Peloton.
A couple of weeks ago, we shared the Peloton Tread with you. An expensive machine that wired classes direct to its 32 inch screen. Well now, Treadmill training app STUDIO and Life Fitness have teamed up to produce a competitor to Peloton. The app can pull data from the Treadmill, and show leaderboards and data on the treadmills display. STUDIO has also hired one of Peloton’s former instructors to be head of content and programming…

1. Is Strava Giving Away Secrets?!
If you missed the news this week, Strava went live with their Global Heat Map.This showed where Strava connected devices have been active. It includes a cool look at major cities, and common trails, but also includes some data from possible secret US military activity in other countries. As you could imagine, this could create a problem.
Check out your city on the Global Heat Map.

2. Shalane Flanagan In A Super Bowl Commercial!
Shalane Flanagan, last years New York City Marathon Winner has a few reasons to be happy this year. Not only does the Massachusetts native get to watch the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but she is also in a Super Bowl Commercial! The spot is for Michelob Ultra, and stars Chris Pratt! Check out Shalane at the 10 second mark in the commercial here.

3. Running a Marathon With Meaning.
Peter Kline started running and participating in marathons later in life. At 53 years old, he ran his first, and after a few, finally qualified for Boston at 55. After running in Boston to raise money for Cancer Research (to honor his good friend with Brain Cancer), Peter wanted to help people with disabilities complete marathons, so he started Marathons With Meaning. This allows a rider/athlete to experience the sense of accomplishment and camaraderie of finishing a marathon. Check out more about Peter At MarathonsWithMeaning.com

4. The Streetwear Influence On Men’s Running Gear.
Running wear, and specifically Men’s Running wear has been popping up with an extreme street influence. The rise of “Urban Running Groups” and the “”Hype Beast Economy” is showcasing itself in new, high priced running brands. We like the idea, but c’mon, $288 for some running shorts?

5. Track Miles, and Be Safe, With 1BandID
We love to find things that help us stay safe on the track, trail, or treadmill. It’s especially great when we find something that will allow us to do so with less clutter on our wrists. Enter the 1BandID, an Id tag that attaches to the running watch you already wear. Its great for those that don’t want an extra bracelet, but still want that little piece of info that could save your life.

With the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week, this episode of the Fast Five is going to be heavy on running technology… Here’s a recap of our top 5 favorites of the week, feel free to share it with all your awesome runner friends, so here it is, this weeks FAST FIVE…

1. Peloton Is Introducing A Treadmill Simply Called The “Tread”!
The maker of the Peloton Bike has introduced a Treadmill as part of its assault on the home training industry. Similar to the big, the Peloton Tread features a 32″ big screen that will allow you to stream workouts which are a mix of treadmill running and body weight/dumbbell exercises. The Tread will set you back $3995 + $39/month for the classes. They are taking preorders now!

2. A Headphone That Can Help Your Running Form?
Many performance wearables for running attach to leg, or require special shoes. The new wireless headphones from Soul Electronics is looking to change all that. Similar to tech shoes, the Soul earphones can track speed, distance, cadence, step length, step width, vertical oscillation, head tilt angle, stance/flight time, shock, maximum leg force, balance, and consistency. It does so through “Advanced Markerless Gait Capture” It will connect to apps on both iPhone and Android for a complete list of analytics. No word yet on accuracy.

3. For All You Swimmers… Finally, A Smart Swimsuit!
When we released the Marathong a couple years ago (on April Fools Day), we had no idea how close we were to a revolution. Now, a company called Spire has teamed up with Swim.com and has announced a smart swim tracker. The tracker itself is not a swimsuit, but a stick on sensor that you can attach to the inside of any swimsuit. You can track time, distance, and even take over the leaderboard at your local pool! The Spire tracker will be released exclusively through SwimOutlet.com.

4. Under Armour Releases Two New Pairs Of “Smart” Running Shoes..
Okay, so maybe “Smart” running shoes aren’t an amazing feat these days. It seems like there’a a device or shoe with some sort of tech around every turn. Under Armour may have found a sweet spot with tech because they’re releasing two new connected running shoes this year. One of our favorite features about these shoes is they can operate without your phone, and then connect and upload the data later. At $140 and $110, The UA HOVR shoes look like a bargain for those who want tech.

5. A “Minimalist” Smart Running Shoe?
About 5 years a go, the minimalist shoe movement was all the rage with shoes like Skora becoming very popular for their “barefoot” feel. Well, a company called VivoBarefoot has teamed up with Sensoria fitness to make a minimalist smart shoe. The Sensoria Primus tracks all the normal performance indicators, but packs them in a smaller, more minimalist shoe.