The Outdoor Edit: New Reads, Walk-Worthy Boots + Talking Offseason Goals
Hey everyone—
I just walked inside from cleaning my bike, and frankly, my fingers and toes are totally numb. I guess that means it's finally shifting into the fall season, which is great on one hand because Gloucester Cyclocross is this weekend and I'll be there racing CX (for the first time in four years!) on Sunday... But also because now, scrubbing mud off of my bike is becoming way more of a chore since temps have dropped. But I can't complain too much because it's a gorgeous fall day as I write this and now that my bike is clean, I'm going to sneak in a ride! What are you up to this week? Any fun fall stuff coming up?
XO, Molly
PS: Respond to this email or hit me up on Instagram... I would love to hear from you all, what you're into, what you want to see more of, etc., so feel free to respond to this and let me know!
1 MOTIVATION MANIFESTO
This month's Athletic Bookworms is ALL about being motivated to end this year on a high note. Feeling a little lacking in motivation now that back to school season is over and the weather is feeling more cozy than badass? Yeah, me too. Soooo, normally I'm not much for the self-help-y genre, but I'm currently in a crunch to finish writing two novels and a book proposal on top of my normal workload, plus trying to make the most of the last good weather weeks we'll have in Ontario by logging some big miles running... And getting to the gym to restart my strength training, and helping host a bunch of rad upcoming events. So yeah, I need a little motivation. Enter The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard as this month's Athletic Bookworm read. It's not specifically athletic, but obviously, flagging motivation is what kills most of our attempts at hitting a PR, training regularly, finishing that training block, et cetera. So it's not that far afield from being an athletic book.
I personally plan to read it with both my work and my training in mind (and sometimes, the two inform each other, so that's just perfect!). I started it last night, and it's very 'battle cry' heavy, in a poetic way that I can get on board with. I think I prefer it to the more saccharine self-help that I'm seeing in the more athlete/training-focused literature on the motivation topic.
Get The Motivation Manifesto by Brendon Burchard here
PS: Unrelated to this book, but... What are your cheesiest go-to reads? I admit I’m a huge Helen Fielding, Nora Roberts and Sophie Kinsella fan, and I’m looking for new chick-lit reads! (Respond to this email or hit me up on Instagram)
PPS: Are you caught up with all the Athletic Bookworm reads? Even if you're not, the Athletic Bookworm page has my favorite excerpts and lessons from all the books we've read so far, so head there for your cheat sheets to the best passages from each book, or use that to choose your next read!
2 VIVOBAREFOOT RYDER WOMEN'S BOOTS
I love barefoot shoes for pretty much everything, not just running. We had Katie Bowman, the author of Movement Matters, on the podcast a while back to talk about the importance of walking more, and I've been wearing barefoot shoes since 2011. I love actually feeling the ground under my feet, and compared to walking in shoes that aren't really designed for walking (i.e any ankle-height or knee-high boot from a place like Target or Steve Madden that's designed for fashion, not function), choosing a shoe meant for walking is a no-brainer. But... I also really, really like shoes that actually look good when I'm going out to dinner or hanging out with friends. I've spent a lot of time trying to find a shoe that was walkable but still looked nice enough to go out to dinner in, or just hang out and not feel like an athlete. It's not easy! I admit, I've even tried a bunch of VivoBarefoot's Gobi-style ankle boots in the past and while they're comfy as F, they sort of fell flat int he style department. But this year, they released the Ryder Boot, a play on a knee-high riding boot, with a leather front and neoprene back for maximum range of motion, plus Vivo's barefoot sole (obviously). The boots are my new favorite thing in the universe. I'm always a little skeptical of how barefoot shoes will look, not because of the sole but because they're made with wider toe boxes and you run the risk of a bit of a duck foot situation.
Get them here ($210 — but the Vivos I have last FOREVER. I'm still using a pair of sneakers from three years ago!)
3 IS IT INTERMITTENT FASTING OR EATING SMART?
If you're considering Intermittent Fasting, or just curious about WTF it is/why everyone keeps talking about it, I might be able to shed some light on the topic of IF for athletes. Over on Outside Mag, I talked to a couple of experts to get their take on what it means to intermittent fast — the good, the bad, and the ugly — and how athletes can reap the benefits without the stress.
4 TALKING OFFSEASON TRAINING, GOALS + PLANS
It's either the offseason or closing in on the offseason for most of us, which means rethinking what our weekly workout structure and nutrition look like. Let's talk about it — you can book a 30-minute phone consult with me and tweak your training so it works better for you. (You know the saying, 'train smarter, not harder.' Yeah, that.)
What You Get: A 30-minute phone consult on nutrition, training and/or female-specific ‘awkward’ questions, followed up with a PDF document outlining the key points from the call and what you should be focusing on. I’ll also include links to relevant books/articles/podcasts (not just my own!) so you have plenty of reference for further info. We’ll get you moving in the right direction! Price: $50 for 30 minute phone call & follow-up outline
Interested? Click here to book a consult.
5 THE QUEST FOR THE PERFECT WHITE TSHIRT
I always come back to three things when it comes to my personal style: Black jeans, leather moto jacket and a white tshirt. I feel like no matter what, if you’re wearing those, you’re good to go. (I wrote on here about my new favorite black ‘jeans’ a couple weeks ago… super stretchy ones from Old Navy.) But a perfect white tshirt? Now, that has eluded me. I randomly popped into an Urban Outfitters in DC a few weeks ago right before giving a talk at the Rapha DC Clubhouse and stumbled across the UO The Mom V-Neck Tee in white — for only $20. It’s just the right depth of v-neck, just the right loose fit, and it avoids being completely see-through (nude bra still recommended unless you’re into a black lace bra showing under it, which I am about half the time now). I freaking love it. So if you’re still trying to find the right white tshirt, you really can’t go wrong with this one. PS: It’s held up to a ton of washes so far and hasn’t had any shrinking issues.
That's it for this week—if you found anything inspiring in here, do me a solid and forward to a friend!