The Elements is a new weekly newsletter from The All-Season Co. Each Wednesday, we round up and highlight a few interesting stories and ideas from the week that are related to running, hiking and the great outdoors. Have a tip to share? info@allseasonco.com
• Are you a parkrunner? The free running group started with 13 runners in October 2004, in a park in London. Since then, the weekly run has become a phenomenon, spreading across over 20 countries around the world. Runner's World UK has a look back at how parkrun become so ubiquitous, and gives you all you need to know about the meetup.
• Whether you run, hike, paddle, climb or just generally get active outside, breathing is important. Indeed, I don't think it's especially controversial to say that even if you don't get active outside, we can all probably agree that breathing is pretty darn important. So what if you could breathe...better? Journalist James Nestor recently travelled the world to study the science of breathing and explains his findings in his book, Breath. Drawing on thousands of years of ancient practice and new findings in pulmonology, psychology, biochem and physiology, Nestor's findings may help you improve athletic performance as well as sleep and overall function. You can pick up a copy of Breath from our Bookshop. And in this video, Nestor walks you through five ways to improve your breathing starting today.
• There are great day hikes, even epic day hikes and then there are NEXT LEVEL HIKES. This list from Earth Trekkers sums up some of the latter. From Zion National Park to Machu Picchu to the Love Valley in Cappadocia, the list will get the daydreams starting and maybe even the travel booking apps opening. Hit us back with a reply if you've done any of these hikes - we'd love to hear about and maybe feature your story in a future edition of The Elements.
• What shoes Eliud Kipchoge was wearing when he ran 2:01:09 in Berlin? Find out here.
"We need a few more fools and dreamers."
This week's discovery is a free documentary about botanist Hugh Wilson and his 30-year quest to restore a 1500 hectare nature reserve in New Zealand from degraded farmland back into its original state, brimming with native flora and fauna. Wilson is a character, and his dedication to mission is inspiring.
'"In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful." - Alice Walker
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Until next time!
The All-Season Company creates apparel and content for runners, hikers and adventurers who embrace the elements. Please consider joining us on YouTube, Instagram or Facebook, or visiting our site at allseasonco.com.