In the past few weeks, I wasn’t the best version of myself. I let my good habits slide. I didn’t exercise for days on end. I didn’t write thank-you cards. I didn’t respond to texts. I didn’t vacuum the house or clean any countertops. I didn’t pay attention to whether or not the dog was fed. I didn’t wake up to my alarm. I didn’t fail at all these things on a daily basis, but the trends were obvious....
Earlier this week, I arrived in New Zealand to spend two and a half weeks here with my wife for our honeymoon. I had never been to New Zealand, but I heard nothing but wonderful comments from friends when they found out where we were going. My favorite comment that I heard was “New Zealand is similar to California, but without all the people.” Indeed, after being here for a couple of weeks, I can say that this is true, at least through the eyes of an outdoor adventurer....
I made a really stupid mistake recently. To explain the significance, first you need to know some background information. I’ve been running in low-drop or zero-drop shoes for the better part of a decade. These shoes are very different from “traditional” running shoes because they eliminate a full centimeter’s worth of cushion between the heel and the ground. The change in this cushioning has an impact on, ahem, the impact....
After I spent a week working in Rome, I spent a night in Venice followed by 3 nights in Florence. Venice, though a fantastic place to explore on foot, is not great for running. At least, not the main island. There are no cars. If you have to move a lot of heavy things, the cargo gets moved by boats. Most people walk everywhere on extremely narrow streets. At times, it was shoulder-to-shoulder pedestrian traffic in the trafficked main corridors....
I was scheduled to meet my team for work in Rome, Italy, for a week. We all stayed at a hotel in the Prati neighborhood, in the central part of the city. I had never been to Rome. Our itinerary contained a lot of meetings and work, but not so much that we wouldn’t be able to escape to explore the city. I was definitely excited for the trip. I woke up on the first morning of our offsite at 6am....