Hey, everyone,
Props to making it through the summer of Claws, and thanks for reading my blog. I had a great holiday weekend here in Chicago – filled with run club, homemade apple-cinnamon rolls, and an architecture tour on the river.
From a poem about procrastinating to the podcast that got me through Friday traffic, here are a few things I thought were worth sharing this month:
A Poem:
I read this poem on twitter and instantly fell in love with its rhythm. Trust me, it’s worth a peek, even though it mentions a cat.
TV Shows:
Barry: My brother told me about a 2-season series called Barry, where Bill Hader plays a lonely-midwestern hit-man who joins an improv group in attempt to make friends. The character development throughout the show is truly spectacular — bad guys have good qualities and good guys have bad qualities. UGH. AH—mazing. If you appreciate dark humor, Barry is definitely worth a watch.
Outlander: I’m easing myself into this Netflix show about a woman who gets sucked back in time to 1743 in Scotland — and I have to say, I’m kind of into it. Especially those Scottish accents. And I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction but so far so good.
Adventure Films:
Beautiful Idiot: this 14-minute film features professional freeride mountain bike rider Brett Rheeder as he navigates the ups and downs of life through sport. You have to watch the full thing to understand, but minute 7 is where my heart kicks in. My favorite line in the film is “sure we want to reach the top some day, but the climb is where we live. Trying is our sport. Our Hobby. Our obsession.” I feel like this is EVERYTHING and SO applies to trail running. The climb is where we live. Between an epic soundtrack and videography that will keep you awake at night, it’s worth a watch. This film will be showing at the Fresh Coast Film Festival in Marquette this October…go check ‘em out!
Good Morning: drop what you are doing and go watch Richard Permin ski down the snow-covered rooftops of Avoriaz, France. This is some serious James Bond dream shit. He also broke his ankle filming.
Islandia: This 2-minute drone short gives me chills and makes me want to return to this magical island. I worked there once upon a time and could easily see myself falling into a lifestyle of croissants and kaffe, dreamy green mountains, Reykjavik grafiti, and knitted sweaters forever. On that note, any one want to run the Lanmannalaugur trail with me in June of 2020?
Billy Yang: Wild and Precious Life: This 9-minute video by mountain athlete Billy Yang isn’t new, but I keep returning to it whenever I need some inspiration. It’s a good reminder that running races or accomplishing your own goals is important, but supporting others as they accomplish theirs is equally important.
Mid-life Crisis with Jeff Johnson: this 5 minute video follows the myth of a man Jeff Johnson (a dope surfer, climber, and runner) as he celebrates his 50th birthday with 50 pitches and a 50k in a day (as one does).
Books:
It was another bookless month for me (oops!). At least I’m honest. I did almost buy a coffee table book on animal farts with my best friend in the Amazon shop.
But in all seriousness, the Banff Mountain Book Competition Long List was released this week and I’m stoked on these. I’d also like to get after the book Training for the Uphill Athlete.
Articles and Ideas:
Burning Man 2019 just ended, and here are this year’s best pictures. My two favorites are the rock staircase and the mirror couple.
Bon Iver: This article/video diary describes the process of creating the new song ‘iMi’. It took 5 years, more than 11 songwriters, and more than a dozen musicians to finish Bon Iver’s new song. Read how Justin Vernon was inspired by the sound of sliding cardboard, the flick of a radio, and rap producer Wheezy.
The Future of Series: I’ve been enjoying this Walrus series. From the future of robot sex to the future of food, there are some interesting ideas floating around here.
Virgo Season: According to my yogi friend, Virgo season is upon us, and this season is about getting things done. My only hope for month is to try. There are so many little things I want to accomplish this month including finishing my second 50k next weekend, finishing the design for a friend’s wedding invitation, designing some temporary tattoos, and avoiding chemicals disguised as pumpkin spice. If you want to know more about Virgos and Virgo season, watch this YouTube Video that a friend of a friend made. You can also watch this short video on how to simplify your life which is actually quite entertaining.
This is Range Magazine: If you haven’t peaked at this epic women-led outdoor inspired magazine, you are missing out. Go flip through the 2019 Summer edition for a deep dive on Bikepacking the Yucatan, finding yourself in South America, and a search and rescue mission on Denali. I love this magazine.
Ten Tips for Cultivating Creativity and a Radical Guide to Spending Less Time on Your Phone.
Recipes:
I had a pancake party over labor day weekend. I also make homemade apple cinnamon rolls which turned out to be pretty good. I followed this recipe — but didn’t use any carmel because I felt that they were sweet enough :)
I’ve also been super into making southwestern salads filled with corn, chips, sweet potatoes, quinoa, spinach and more
Podcasts:
Life is Short With Justin Long: If you listen to one podcast this month, make it this one. This pod made my 1.5 hour commute feel like getting a drink with a friend. I fully credit Justin’s conversation with New Girl’s Max Greenfield for delivering me to the office in an upbeat mood. From conversations about Max’s daughters book report to why Jake Johnson (Nick Miller) is a comedic genius. It’s a hilarious pod (minus the hotel ads). Check it out.
Ctollerun: I got to meet and run with Olympic athlete Carrie Tollefson last week. This rad Minnesotan runner and mom led us through a training session and then gave a talk afterwards. Tune in to her podcast to listen to her conversation with Sanjay Rawal, the director of of 3100: Run and Become.
The Morning Shakeout: If you need a good listen, tune in to hear Matt Futterman, deputy sports editor of the New York Times and 23 time marathoner discuss the secrets of training. It’s an engaging podcast…and time flies by while you listen.
Mountain Artists:
I found a couple of mountain artists this month who I am totally stoked on. Check ‘em out.
Iuna Tinta: this Swiss-born artist is based out of Berlin. Her modern mountain landscapes and native iconography are totally dope. I would 100% LOVE to hang her artwork in my home one day….so if anyone needs a bday idea.
John Fellows: this Denver-based artist draws rugged mountains on top of topo maps.
A drawing I did this month of some old buildings on my street.
That’s all. I also wanted to share a bit of good news: Brooklyn Boulders Climbing Gym is using my art for their 10-year anniversary. My Women on Lead rock climbing artwork will be up on display in the Gowanus, Queensbridge, Somerville, and Chicago locations — so go climb and check it out. I’m stoked to have been selected!
As always, thanks for reading. If you enjoyed, please share with a friend, give me a follow on Instagram, or check out my Spoonflower shop.