Welcome to the Fresh Brewsletter
Welcome to the first edition of the Fresh Brewsletter. I hope to make a weekly update on my running endeavors, as well as other aspects loosely related to running. Subscribe to the Fresh Brew Run Club by entering your email for updates. I promise I won’t spam you with a bunch of useless nonsense; my nonsense will be extremely useful.
3 Running Observations
- I just got back from Boston, and what a fun city to run in! It’s the closest I’ve felt to running in Europe anywhere in the US, with its narrow and winding cobblestone streets, historic architecture and loud sea birds circling overhead, waiting for me to collapse while charging up Beacon Hill. I am working on a new video recapping my run along the Freedom Trail, Fenway Park and the finish line of the Boston Marathon this week. Hopefully, I will have it posted for this weekend.
- On the flip side, Portland, ME is one of the worst cities to run in. It might have been the scorching heat, but the lack of trees in this city certainly didn’t help. Traffic was busy, crosswalks were limited and I didn’t find the charm I expected to see, based on Somebody Feed Phil. Live and learn.
- In the dead of last winter, I promised I would never take warm weather for granted. However, the latest heat/humidity wave has me wavering (pun) on that promise. Running in this weather is a slog! But at least there is no risk of slipping on black ice and freezing to the sidewalk.
My Latest Video
Speaking of running in all these states, I launched my 50 State Running Challenge this week, where starting this summer, I am trying to run in all 50 states. It will take me a lifetime, but I am up for the challenge, and welcome any excuse to travel to Hawaii and Alaska. The first video is from my home state of Michigan, on my favorite running path, the Detroit Riverwalk.
Trainer Talk
Bad news. My Nike ZoomX Invincible 2 is cracking. The midsole foam has a few concerning cracks after 100 miles. I’ll cover it in a future video, but I never had this problem with the first version of the shoe, and I even ran 500 miles in one of them. I am racking my brain trying to remember if I got my heel caught in a bike chain or bitten by a dog, but I can’t recall. Hopefully, this is just a fluke.
Coffee Corner
I tried to get Dunkin Donuts in Boston. I showed up at the location 30 minutes before I had a tour across the street (which seemed like plenty of time) but my order wasn’t completed in time and I sadly had to leave it. However, I did get a (very costly) orange juice. It was ok. Never ended up having a Dunkin coffee in Boston. It’s always unfortunate when you miss out on local fare that you can’t get anywhere else.
Song of the Week
Happiness by The 1975. Great song. It’s a burst of saxophone-laden positivity that makes my runs fly by. I’ll always associate this song with running the city of Boston, as I had it on repeat all week.
Interesting Read of the Week
Great piece on Marge Hickman, a 72-year-old runner competing in a 100-mile race in Lousiville. Goals, tbh. Read via the New York Times.
Thanks for reading the first ever version of The Fresh Brewsletter. Subscribe by submitting your info on the homepage. If you have topic ideas, questions, comments or anything else, shoot me an email at freshbrewrunclub@gmail.com.