The weekend’s nearly over, but don’t fret. Forget about work, the commute, politics, and how long it is until payday. Instead, take this time to plan the upcoming week’s fitness goals. We’ve got life-affirming films, books to help you plan your next adventure, festivals to fill your diary and equipment to boost your performance. it's time to sit back and enjoy the Sunday Long Run.
And don't forget to check out these trending posts from the past week:
- Running: Inspirational running books for the beach
- Yoga: The best yoga towels for sweat-free practice
- Workout: The best massage devices
- Trekking: Ultimate apps for smart explorers
Wear these
On Cloudventure Peak
Buy now: On Running | $149.99
The fresh versions of On’s trail shoes are lighter and more supportive than the previous generation, and they’re designed for scaling mountains like a goat. The brand’s co-founder Olivier Bernhard tests all prototypes of the company’s shoes until he’s happy with them, and as a former pro athlete, he knows his onions.
The reduction in weight, and ice-cool white design, mean that you will be flying up, and down, your nearest peaks (or playing fields, if that’s all there is near your house).
Sweat this
Rowbots
A new gym has just opened in central London offering something a little different to the others. Firstly, Gareth Bale’s involved (no, the workout doesn’t involve playing wall ball for 45 minutes), and secondly it combines two things that we haven’t seen put together before – rowing and mindfulness.
Classes have names such as ‘System Reset’ and ‘Mental Stamina’, and each has a different aim, mixing interval sessions on the rower with floor exercises, all with a focus on relaxing, or strengthening, your mind too.
Where: Fitzrovia, London
Price per class: £22 (there's currently an intro offer of unlimited classes for £22 for one week)
Download this
Strava Athletes Unfiltered – Rickey Gates
This podcast series from Strava recently returned for its second season of stories from interesting Strava users doing unique and life-changing activities. This one’s a doozy – you may have seen when Rickey Gates ran every street in San Francisco last winter, which Strava heatmapped and it went viral.
Here, he talks about how he planned the epic 1,300-mile, 47-day run, and how it opened his eyes to the city he used to live in.
Watch this
Running For Good
Whether you're a seasoned ultra athlete or someone whose running interest is reserved for the local parkrun, chances are you've heard of the Marathon De Sables. A gruelling six day endurance event that sees participants cover 251km across the Sahara desert, it's famous for being one of the toughest running events in the world, tackling dehydration, intense heat and one of the hardest terrains of any footrace.
Running For Good follows world record marathon runner Fiona Oakes as she takes on the challenge. A story that covers not only the hardships of the race itself, but the moving history of Oakes's journey. From an illness at the age of 17 which caused her to lose one of her kneecaps, Oakes went onto to become a world record-holding marathon runner. Expect moving and honest insights, beautiful cinematography and one of the most inspirational tales of overcoming personal difficulties that you're likely to find online.
Read this
Epic Runs Of The World
Buy now: Amazon | From $22.01
Get ready to extend your bucket list – Lonely Planet has just released a brand new guide to some of the world’s most stunning runs. There are the usual suspects – Comrades Marathon, Badwater, Big Sur Marathon – but there are also some mouthwatering routes you may not have heard of, such as a tightrope run along the Amalfi coast, or a jaunt round Kyoto’s Kamo riverfront.
Contributors include ultrarunners such as Damian Hall and Michael Wardian, and as you’d expect with Lonely Planet, the photography will have you drooling over stunningly runnable singletracks.
Eat this
Picky Eats Oatmeal
Buy now: Energy Snacks (UK) / From £2.99
Energy Snacks has just started selling this porridge from the team behind Picky Bars energy bars. Each serving is vegan and comes in different flavours – Can’t Beet Chocolate features beetroot, cacao, chia seeds and almond, Game, Set, Matcha has matcha, goji berries, pepitas and cardamom, and How ’Bout Dem Apples contains apple, cinnamon, chia seeds and ginger.
Each serving provides 10g of protein and 310-325 calories – perfect if you’re on an overnight adventure in the wild.
Book this
Exhale Festival
If your wellness needs a general reboot, this festival in West Sussex is the place to visit. Over the weekend of 23-26 August, head down to the south coast for a celebration of all things yoga and meditation, including workshops on the Wim Hof breathing method (aka ice bath therapy), handstand inversion events, mindful runs, caveman fitness and gong baths (don't worry, there's no nudity involved).
There’s also a party in an ancient barn, loads of plant-based food options, and kids and dogs are welcome… basically, come Monday morning you’ll feel refreshed, relaxed and ready to face your overflowing inbox again.
Price: Day tickets from £25
The five-minute fix
Looking for somewhere new to hike? The Cambrian Way in Wales has just been recognised as an official walking route. It traverses the entire country from north to south, spanning 298 miles and taking in Black Mountain, the Brecon Beacons and Snowdon. (3.00)
You can’t beat a bit of Danny MacAskill of an evening. This recent video celebrates his new collab with Adidas Outdoor – a quick hit of his bike wizardry on Dunbar harbour and the mountains of Glencoe, complete with painful-looking outtakes as standard. (3.36)
A nice little recap of this year’s Silverheels 100 in Colorado, an event high in the mountains above 11,000ft that is only just pipped by the gruelling Hardrock 100 for elevation across a 100-mile foot race. A great insight into one of America’s lesser-known trail races. (5.29)
