Essential things to do, watch, listen to, download and sweat at for the days ahead
It’s been a long, hot summer week for a lot of us, especially if you’ve had to head into the office. Now it’s time to make the best of the weekend and set yourself up with some friendly guidance on the week ahead. Forget about the news, ignore those bills on the side table, grab that cafetiere and sit back, it’s time for the Sunday Long Run.
In this week’s guide, we’ve got fancy new wearables, adventure podcasts, old-school summer camps, books on learning to lift and the unique experience of drinking beer before sprinting.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out some of this week’s Get Sweat Go highlights:
- Running: The best trail running tops and shorts for men
- Workout: Training and kit advice from a SailGP athlete
- Yoga: The best yoga mats and towels for your summer trip
- Trek: The best hiking boots for men
Read this
Lift Yourself: A Training Guide to Getting Fit and Feeling Strong for Life
Buy now: Amazon / £9.99 (Kindle)
It’s no secret these days that lifting weights is an important part of fitness for everyone, regardless of gender, age or size. Laura “Biceps” Hoggins, now a successful personal trainer and fitness consultant, is a testament to this brave new world of enlightenment. “I haven’t always been ‘fit’, I used to smoke, drink excessively and eat all the wrong things”, she states on her blog, lifted.fitness.
Her journey into fitness covers everything from marathons to judo and football, however according to Laura, “The power of lifting weights, becoming a leaner, stronger, aerobically fitter version of myself was a revelation”. Lift Yourself is a book not only about weight lifting but also other aspects of life, like body confidence and empowerment. Well worth a read for gym-goers and those looking for inspiration alike.
Book this
Camp Wildfire
Camp Wildfire is a tough festival to pin down in a few sentences. On one side it’s a nostalgic revisiting of mid-20th-century holiday camps – think Hi-de-Hi! sprinkled with Carry On Camping – with everything from crafts, woodwork and astronomy to large-scale, wholesome team games like dodgeball and sack racing. For the extreme types, there’s a selection of more adventurous activities like quad biking and parkour.
We went last year and it was one of the most enjoyable and inventive festivals we’ve been to for years, plus as well as the massive list of activities it also has live music and plenty of bars. Be quick though, it’s on the last release of tickets.
When: 30 August – 2 September
Where: Sevenoaks, Kent
Price per ticket: £224
Buy this
Polar Ignite
Buy now: Polar (UK) / Polar (US) / Amazon | £174.50
Polar has released some really nice wearable tech recently, specifically the Vantage M and V models. The Ignite is the latest to take learnings from both of those products into a new, sleeker and even more fashionable fitness tracker. As well as an easy-to-use touchscreen and interchangeable strap designs, the Ignite packs in a heap of technical power, featuring GPS, the same optical heart sensor as the Vantage series, advanced sleep tracking and daily training guides.
In a vast range of similar products, Polar has pulled out all the stops with the Ignite and everyone we’ve spoken to about it has been a big fan from the get-go. Within the price range it’s by far one of the strongest contenders out there for what it does.
Sweat this
The Foundry – Bank
Okay, you’re probably aware we’re big fans of The Foundry, by far one of the most interesting and well-devised places to train in London. The trainers are great, the workouts are, well, challenging, and the setups up at both its Old Street and Vauxhall locations are a fitness fan’s dream. The big news this week is that it’s launching a third studio at Bank.
We’ve been assured that the set-up is what we’ve come to expect from the Foundry team, with the same level of delicate planning, the same Foundry camaraderie and the same amount of sweat endlessly trickling onto the floor. The location will be opening very soon, so make sure you follow them on Instagram and check out the current trial offer.
Where: Bank, London
Price per session: £20 a class (bulk and monthly options available)
Watch this
The Running Channel – The Beer Mile
Now, it’s not often we’ll feature ourselves in the Sunday Long Run, but then again, it’s not often we’re feature in a video, but we have, and we’re going to. Now, we don’t condone running and drinking, especially beforehand, but when you’re at a running festival where one of the main events is a beer mile relay, it’s worth seeing what it’s all about.
This film is from the Love Trails Festival beer mile, an event where teams of four down a can of beer then sprint a 400m course before tapping in the next runner. Ultra running it isn’t, but when you’ve got 330ml of fizz in your digestive system, 400m seems like a very long way.
Download this
The Outdoors Fix Podcast
Set up by Liv Bolton, a journalist who loves adventure and the outdoors so much that she thru-hiked her way across New Zealand’s South Island, the Outdoors Fix is a relatively new podcast for 2019. The premise is simple: after returning from her trip, Liz decided to seek advice from lots of amazing people about how to make the outdoors more accessible. She aims for clear, practical and honest insights into the outdoors with guests including photographers, ultra runners, pony trekkers and survivalists.
The beauty of the Outdoors Fix comes largely from the fact Liz speaks to real people with no incentive to be involved other than the sheer fact they love the outdoors. Liv’s interest and excitement at learning from the various experts results in a refreshing and always interesting listen.
The 5-minute fix
Next weekend marks the start of the 2019 CrossFit games, and whether you’re an avid fan or have absolutely no idea what’s going on, this year’s event structure is a tiny bit confusing in comparison to last year. In this video, Craig Richey (TeamRICHEY) runs through the main points of what to expect in a simple and largely meme-based overview. (11.13)
Celebrities doing workout videos is not the most groundbreaking idea, but in the 80s there were more than a few that were just really weird. Watch Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg) as he awkwardly and confusingly explains his Form… Focus… Fitness video. (4.20)
There’s only really one reason to watch this short clip of highlights from the Royal Ultra Sky Marathon in Turin, and that’s to marvel at the fantastic drone shots as the runners cover the distance. Seriously, it’s worth it though. (2.56)
The Get Sweat Go Running Playlist
Need a new playlist for you long runs? Download the Get Sweat Go Spotify playlist to hear what we’re listening to as we tick off the miles next week.
Have an idea for something we should add to a future Sunday Long Run? Let us know by replying to our weekly post on Instagram or sending us an email at editors@getsweatgo.com.