The “quantified self” is a term spawned by Silicon Valley in the late 2000s to describe how health and fitness could be revolutionized through new, enhanced data collection methods using wearables. The premise of self-quantification is that the limitations of the human organism can be enhanced like an engineering upgrade. …

“Mindfulness” is at the forefront of popular culture these days. It gets pitched as a cure-all that promises to make you a better everything, from executive to athlete. I’m a 30+ year practitioner of a meditation practice called Vipassana as taught by S.N. Goenka (1924-2013). Vipassana falls under the broad …

Winters in the Pacific Northwest are not easy. I know winter, I was raised in Minnesota, land of 10,000 frozen lakes. I lived in Boston for sixteen years, the setting for the movie The Perfect Storm. Winter running in the Pacific Northwest has its own set of challenges. I’m still …

I’m a big advocate of cultivating a robust (live) social network of fitness buddies. We tend to become like the other members of our social networks, fitness or not. Therefore: run, ride, hike, and ski with people who are fitter, faster, and younger. Although it’s best practice to have a …

I’m surprised to see how many folks have been out running and cycling during the recent smoky weather. It’s as if the rest of us need to HTFU. Current AQI: Exercising in unhealthy air isn’t like lifting weights: it’s not going to make your lungs “stronger.” And, just because you …

Overcoming addiction is formidable to say the least. 28 year old Sergey Kasparov is successfully replacing an unwholesome relationship with tobacco with a wholesome addiction to cycling. Recently, Sergey’s exploits have been getting noticed on Strava where he is at the top of the leaderboard for numerous segments. Seattle-area racer …