Thank you, get ups and treats

Five years ago, I was home from the gym where I had been teaching Wednesday night Strength Training for Runners. I was supposed to be teaching class, but I had just returned home from Finland and having traveled from Europe was a risk factor for this Covid 19 thing going around. I thought I would be home for two weeks but in reality, as you know, it was a lot longer. At the urging of another trainer, I hesitantly figured out the newfangled thing called Zoom and taught class from my home office. I figured I would do it for a couple times and head on back to the gym. Five years on, you can still find me, different home gym, same time and place, on Zoom live to your screen on Wednesday nights. 

When I was encouraged to teach online, I was not only hesitant, I thought it was dumb, no one would join and I didn't have interest in learning how to do it. 
If you would have told me that five years on, I would still be offering this class, I really would never have started. A FIVE year commitment to something EVERY week sounds like a no to me. 

There are some good lessons in there, about continual learning, being open to new ideas and not being afraid to start, BUT I am not going there. Instead, I want to express my gratitude for those of you who were a part of the five amazing years of Strength Training for Runners at the gym and these last five amazing years of Strength Training for Runners online. If you want in on this super happy fun crew lifting heavy weights and sometimes detergent bottles or Corgis, then JOIN US TOMORROW. Class is always free and the tip jar for snacks is always open. 

GET UP, RUN FAST, STAY WARM
Here are some athletes at the TOP of their game. 

• Here is a video of the latest world record of 255lbs for the Turkish Get Up. With this video as inspiration, I attempted to hold a 15lb barbell overhead and keep it steady which makes this record 1,000 times more impressive. 
• Here is what it looks like running at mile 26 of a 50k when you are on pace to finish in 3 hours and 40 minutes. Check out Jim Walmsley's gait, even over rocks, it is soooo good. 
• Lael Wilcox, ultra distance cyclist and Guinness World Record for fastest circumnavigation of the WORLD by bike, finished the Iditarod Invitation on a fat tire bike and talks about it in this podcast. So many lessons in living in the moment, avoiding frustration, having grace and staying warm. 

KRISPY TREATS VALIDATED
If you are one of my coached athletes, you know I am an advocate of the Rice Krispy Treat as fuel for ultras (not exclusively, I am not a savage!). Most people are able to stomach rice-based fuels, they are never super dry and don't melt in the heat. Skratch Labs attempted to make a healthy/sportified version that included quinoa (NO! BAD! STOP!) and it was discontinued because hard chunks of quinoa do not belong in your life. Maurten has a solid bar product in addition to their more popular gels and it is basically an extremely expensive Rice Krispy Treat. And now, the message board Let's Run is incredulous that a track runner has credited the marshmallow treats (and other sugar snacks) with some of his success. I think the evidence is in, the treats have been validated! 

My go to home recipe for the treats. If you are more a salty type and want to make the treats with potato chips get cooking.