Athlete Body Image, The BEST Backpack + More | The Outdoor Edit Newsletter
THE OUTDOOR EDIT NEWSLETTER
Hellooooooo!
It's official, this is the longest stretch I've spent in one spot in the last 10 years. And naturally, that means I'm back on the road tomorrow, heading down to NY to race my first 50K trail run of the season (eek!) and to celebrate the launch of Shred Girls: Lindsay's Joyride (double eek!). Luckily, I figure the two being back-to-back means that I'll be too nervous about the book launch to have pre-race jitters, and then I'll be too tired from the race to be nervous the day the book comes out!
The top 2 reminders: Pre-order Shred Girls: Lindsay's Joyride and spread the word about the launch, pretty-please! And... We're on the lookout for more questions for our training and nutrition Q&A episodes of The Consummate Athlete Podcast! Respond here with any questions: there's no question too general OR too specific.
ANYWAY. Let's talk about what's new and exciting!
XO,
Molly
OBSESSED WITH THIS BACKPACK
It's not the sexiest backpack on the block, but my Ortlieb Velocity Backpack has been through five years of HEAVY use and still looks like it's new. We do all of our grocery shopping with it, and between the plastic 'frame' on the inside and the back padding and strap padding, it's comfortable even when filled with 40 pounds of potatoes (a real thing that happens). TBH, I expected the straps to fail a long time ago, and the fact that it's still in perfect condition means it is worthy of a serious shoutout. (Mine is bright blue and I honestly may just buy a new one to get the black or black and white version here).
RACE WEIGHT AND THE SCALE
Last week, I posted a question on Twitter and Facebook asking if athletes still used the bathroom scale as a metric for any reason. The responses were overwhelming—normally, I get a few responses to training questions, but this one clearly struck a chord. People from both sides talked about their reasons for tossing the scale, or for weighing in twice a day. While I got a lot of great thoughts for my article I'm working on about whether you should hang on to your scale, I was more surprised by how many people talked about it, and then added how it helped or hindered their body image, specifically their body image as athletes. If you're struggling with body image or feel like you're maybe too reliant on the scale, I highly recommend checking out our episode on Athlete Body Image and RED-S with Danelle Kabush on The Consummate Athlete Podcast.
ON THAT NOTE... A PERSONAL TAKE ON ATHLETE BODY IMAGE
We've had so many experts talking about athletic identity and body image on the podcast and in articles lately, and I realized it might be helpful (for myself and for some readers!) if I worked through some of my own struggles with body image as an athlete. There's no conclusion because, well, I don't have a conclusion or right answer as an athlete who struggles through some of this stuff, but I didn't want to just lean on experts and never share my own journey. So... Click to read the whole story: Athletic Body Image: Never a Perfect Answer, But a Lot of Thoughts
CATCH UP ON THE OUTDOOR EDIT:
Can’t Get Outside? Effective Running Alternatives For Stuck-Inside Runners
2 Weeks Until “Shred Girls: Lindsay’s Joyride” Hits Shelves!
Life is a Marathon with Matt Fitzgerald on The Consummate Athlete Podcast
Routine Versus “Optimal Training Environment” for Endurance Athletes
8 DAYS UNTIL SHRED GIRLS IS OUT!!
And obviously, I am freaking out. Soooooo... You can still Pre-order Lindsay's Joyride (out May 7!), email me the receipt and I'll send you a signed Shred Girls postcard + Shred Girls bike frame stickers... and if you share it with a friend, let me know and I'll send you even more stickers!!
"Shred Girls: Lindsay's Joyride" is an empowering new series from the cyclist who runs Shred-Girls.com is guaranteed to give readers an adrenaline rush--and the confidence girls gain from participating in sports. It's time to ride and save the day!
Lindsay can't wait to spend her summer break reading comics and watching superhero movies--until she finds out she'll be moving in with her weird older cousin Phoebe instead. And Phoebe has big plans for Lindsay: a BMX class at her bike park with cool-girl Jen and perfectionist Ali. Lindsay's summer of learning awesome BMX tricks with new friends and a new bike turns out to be more epic than any comic book--and it's all leading up to a jumping competition. But some of the biker boys don't think girls should be allowed to compete in BMX. Now it's up to Lindsay, Jen, and Ali to win the competition and prove that anyone can be great at BMX.
Preorder here: