The Outdoor Edit Newsletter: Endurance Training + Inspo, Protein Powders + A Killer New Sweatshirt!

THE OUTDOOR EDIT NEWSLETTER

Hellooooooo!

I'm just about to finish off a huge block of endurance training, so frankly, I am zonked. This past week, I've been helping coach an endurance camp for some of Canada's fastest young mtbers, and that's meant a ton of on-bike time for me. That's a good thing, because being sidelined from running thanks to a malingering minor knee issue made me a grump-a-potamus for the lat couple weeks of December — when we were in Costa Rica, running felt easy and natural, but when we came back, my knee flared again and I was pretty much beside myself. But my new coach (!) and I talked about it, and decided while it's not perfect, using the road biking camp as a hard reset from running was what my body needed. So it's been fun throwing myself into it 100%. 

What are you up to this winter? Base training? Strength training? Yoga-ing? Let me know how you're spending the first couple months of 2019!

XO,
Molly

PS: Just a reminder, If you pre-order Shred Girls, email me the receipt and I'll send you a signed Shred Girls postcard + Shred Girls bike frame stickers!


DIET RESOLUTIONS GONE WRONG
If you haven't already, check out this article on diet resolutions and how to reframe them in 2019 that I did for Outside mag. It's one of my favorite pieces I've written in a while, especially since it featured the awesome Lori Nedescu with a dietician's take and Kristin Keim for a sport psych viewpoint. 

*THIS* SWEATSHIRT
When I posted this Ride Bikes Get Rad sweatshirt on my IG Stories, I got a ton of messages with people really wanting one. So, I made it available in the Shred Girls Shop. It's super cozy and reminds me of a sweatshirt my mom would have gotten me in the early 90s — so in right now! — and I've been living in it at this camp. 

WHAT'S YOUR GO-TO PUMP UP JAM?
I was interviewing the women of Rally Cycling at their team camp this week and one question I kept asking was 'How do you motivate yourself when you're not feeling a workout?' They all told me, without a pause, 'music.' Everyone has a secret playlist with a few go-to songs that just work to get you moving. I smiled and nodded, but didn't think anything of it, until today when I was 2 hours into a ride and my motivation had been dropped at the bottom of the last climb (I think it made a run for the beach while I carried on.). I didn't want to play any music, since I was riding with impressionable young riders and that's bad for safety! but I needed something, so I started humming Starship by Nikki Minaj. I swear to you, I went up that hill faster and easier than any other hill of the day. 

ATHLETIC BOOKWORM'S JANUARY PICK: NORTH BY SCOTT AND JENNY JUREK
Ready to get motivated to chase a big scary goal this year? Enter this month's super-inspirational (but also fun-to-read and running-oriented) Athletic Bookworm pick. I wanted to take a break from the uber-motivational self-development genre and go more memoir to start the year on a fun note, so we're reading North: Finding My Way While Running the Appalachian Trail  by Scott Jurek and Jenny Jurek. You might remember Scott from Born to Run (you can hear about that on our podcast with Chris McDougall!) but if you don't, Scott is an ultrarunner who's run pretty much every race there is to win. And in North, his second book, he and Jenny chronicle his attempt to set the FKT (fastest known time) on the Appalachian Trail. It's a fun, easy read that packs a motivation plus practical punch, and I love the back-and-forth style of writing between Scott and Jenny.

PROTEIN POWDER
I'm not always a fan of protein powders — I would always opt for real food when possible — but sometimes, a protein shake is the easiest option for getting in that 20 grams of protein post-workout, or for supplementing what would otherwise be an unimpressive meal. Travel days, for example, I tend to try to drink a protein shake at the airport, which helps me avoid going HAM on pastries or paying a ton for a legit meal, while also making me hydrate! So, over at Gear Junkie, I tried, tested and reviewed a few different options. Most are whey-based, as those are the ones with the most science backing their efficacy, but I added in my personal fave collagen option for coffee-drinkers plus a tasty vegan alternative!  (Did I miss your favorite brand? Let me know!)