Posted by: Steve Lackey in Untagged on
Oct 06, 2009
So glad we run! And if you need a new reason, GU just created one. Their new holiday flavors are available and the Vanilla Gingerbread Gel is delicious. Assuming it carries the same eletrolyte punch I am so used to from GU I am sure to enjoy the run I'm about to take.
There is also a Mint Chocolate flavor for the season (haven't tried that yet). Proceeds from the sale of both of these flavors will go to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
Posted by: Steve Lackey in Untagged on
Oct 01, 2009
It was about a year ago when I first Twittered. It’s truly remarkable how quickly the phenomenon of this so simple and consciously basic form of communication has grown across our collective society. Still so many people tell me, “I just don’t get it,” “I have no time for that,” or “I don’t want to put myself ‘out there’ like that.” (I’m confident you all will find your way to Twitter at some point, but due to your hesitation will likely end up with an account ID like @clownpeni284&^2!r98fjhqwkfj-scaredpigeon).
I find Twitter therapeutic—not unlike writing monthly notes like this. It simply reminds me to recognize, and appreciate, the moments I am offered. Of course, I tend to share perspectives that lean positive (perpetual complaining is not good for building our type of community) and in turn I am compelled to zero in on the things that are life-enhancing. As a bonus, the updates I see from so many people give me perspective well beyond my own daily travels—all at the swipe of a finger on my iPhone (#getone).
Of course, these brief snips of personality pale in comparison to the whole of what we are presented with each day. The great things (and the not-so-great) come and go so quickly that we can’t even respond to them when we move through each day as if we are trying to “survive” to the next—which is inevitably filled with much more of the same, only different.
So we’re left with what we manage to remember—more specifically, how we manage to remember. And therein lies the choice (arguably one of the most powerful words known to humankind). Was it a great day? Did you have an awesome moment? Maybe even just one within the hundreds experienced during that 24-hour period? From there, you find the moments you choose to remember for that day: “felt great during my 5-mile run,” “nothing gives me life more than seeing a genuine smile on my daughter’s face,” “so appreciative of the kind man who helped me at the post office today—good people are awesome!” “can’t believe people actually eat roadkill,” “looking forward to crossing the finish line at Ramblin Rose this weekend #celebrateme #1stxtriathlete.” As long as you can express it in 140 characters or less, you can send it out into the universe as if you wrote it in stone—and now you own it. Powerful in many ways.
Life is essentially a series of moments. You can enjoy them, you can forget them, you can dread them, you can celebrate them. In the end, it’s important to find a way to appreciate them.
In our annual off-road issue, our managing editor, Joe Nuss, once again serves up a menu of inspiration, motivation, and, as usual, many moments that await your presence (and perspective). Most notably we introduce the MovNat approach to fitness, essentially showcasing how to build healthier fitness profiles by getting back to nature, or back to MOVing NATurally. And with our monthly reader giveaway from Great Outdoor Provision company (see adjacent page) you’ll have more than you need to get motivated to experience this season off-road.
What are you doing?
Inspire. Perform. Endure.
You can follow me on Twitter @stevelackey, and for all things Endurance Magazine: @enduranceonline
P.S. Happy 77th birthday to my Pop—a master at enjoying his moments.
By Steve Lackey | Publisher
Last April I ran the Boston Marathon. For me, and pretty much any other marathoner, this is the most magical place to compete, a Disneyland for runners. From the moment you arrive, you notice the entire city and pretty much all of its residents are prepared and excited for you to run. Every runner is treated like royalty, and no matter what your level, you feel like an Olympian—it is truly a magical experience (even more so when you respect the challenge of the course).
At the start of the marathon, the crowds cheered as if we were crossing the finish line, and for 26.2 miles there was not a gap in the energy provided from the colorful personalities that lined the course—kids, parents, bikers, seniors in wheelchairs, college students. The first half of the Boston course is downhill. Veterans advise you to be careful not to go too fast—to stay within your ability. But with all the excitement of the crowd and the inspiration of all the other runners, that slipped my mind as I cruised almost effortlessly through the first 13 miles at a PR pace. It felt amazing—as if I were lifted by everyone else’s energy. My vision was wide, and around every corner something new and exciting was delivered.
Posted by: Steve Lackey in Untagged on
Aug 18, 2009
Ladies Night This Friday at Inside-Out Sports! (pre-race)
In support of the 2009 Ramblin' Rose Women Only Triathlon, presented by Endurance Magazine, Inside-Out Sports is hosting Ladies Night this Friday Night at both their Cary and Charlotte locations. Lots of great deals, wine, food, fashion show, and door prizes*
*make sure to RSVP below to be entered to win.
BIG NEWS
 25 new $75 slots for participation will be released
at Inside-Out Sports This Friday night you must be present to register and make a purchase greater than $10 at Inside-Out Sports that evening
The first 25 women who register will get the coveted slots - these slots are only available during Inside-Out Sports Ladies Night and will sell out fast - so get there early!
Event Director, Thys Wind, Publisher/Founder, Steve Lackey and Charlotte Market Director, Justin Ratike will be on site to personally register you.
Directions to Inside-Out Sports locations can be found here
Look forward to a great experience and a lot of fun!
Inspire. Perform. Endure.
Endurance Magazine Race Crew
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SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 - DURHAM, NC - Endurance Magazine, the premier regional resource for healthy lifestyles, has been awarded the 2008 National Award for Editorial Excellence from the Association of Running Publications. Out of 34 regional publications across the country, North Carolina-based Endurance Magazine and its editorial staff, led by Managing Editor Joe Nuss, was recognized for its perpetually creative and inspiring editorial and production style. Complemented by world-class photography by Tamara Lackey Photography, and innovative visual design by 8dot Graphics (both based in North Carolina), Endurance Magazine breaks through traditional health and fitness content paradigms by connecting real-world lifestyles with real-world people who take on extraordinary challenges. "Our mix of immediately useful content and life-enriching personal connections helps us reach out to new readers with each issue" says Publisher and founder Steve Lackey. "Over the years we have found our creative niche and have been able to inspire and motivate all types of people across our region. As more people learn about Endurance Magazine from beyond North Carolina, our subscription requests from other states have grown".
When asked what makes Endurance Magazine so popular with such a broad audience, Nuss explains, "Endurance Magazine is blessed with an amazing community of people willing to share their own passionate narratives about endurance sports. Our emphasis on storytelling, design and photography, with the sport itself as merely a backdrop, enables us to explore the universally relevant themes of physical and emotional triumph in attempt to bring together everyone from elite athletes to those that have never before laced up a pair of running shoes (but think they might want to some day)."
In only his second year running ultras,
Bandwidth.com CEO
David Morken finished the
Wasatch 100 (miles) in 26 hours and 51 minutes. Finishing this torturous run is remarkable for anyone -- David managed to cross the finish in 22nd place (out of 241) - and this is someone who trains at sea level while most others are at altitude all year. After bonking in his first try in 2007 (hypontremia symptoms after the temperature dropped dramatically overnight), David came back with even more focus and had an amazing experience in 2008. Note: David is not only CEO of his company, but is also a father of 6 children (all under the age of 18). He keeps it all together with a calmness and intensity that is unmatched (and he gets a LOT of help from his family and friends). Congratulations, David - you are a true inspiration -- looking forward to watching you and the Bandwidth.com team tackle the 2009 Race Across America (RAAM)!
Track Charlie as he runs across America.
Charlie is blogging each day and is even keeping us updated via Twitter (just get an account and you can follow him there) http://www.twitter.com/.
A few months ago I wrote about swimming an entire 60 minute workout without goggles - just opened my eyes in the pool and embraced the freedom of swimming without goggles - until I got out and realized the chlorine had melted away half of my contact lenses (not recommended as I had a headache for two days). Still, I was pretty impressed with myself for sucking it up and getting through the ‘adversity' of that particular workout.
I was reminded of this when I saw Michael Phelps win gold at this year's Olympics in his premier event - the 200 meter butterfly. He could not have looked less satisfied - tossing his cap and goggles onto the deck as if they were not worthy of being in the pool. Turns out, upon entering the pool his goggles filled up with water and stayed that way for the entire event. For just over 1 minute and 51 seconds he crushed all challengers - essentially with his eyes closed.
The average person would be quickly consumed by the negative vibe associated with something going wrong - especially at a time like this (an Olympic finals event). And I guess that is why people like Phelps are able to consistently perform at the level they do - they seem to have an uncanny ability to block out anything that is not moving them in a positive direction - they inherently, and seemingly proactively, eclipse any potential negative energy - at least for as long as they need to get to the finish.
I am sure this is the same type of positive consciousness that elite gymnasts dip into when they fall of the balance beam and then get up to continue executing severely complex techniques with perfection to complete their routine. It has always amazed me.
On August 24th we will kick off the 2008 Ramblin' Rose Women Only Triathlon Tour in Winston-Salem, NC. With over 50% of the participants being first timers, the value of embracing this positive mindset will be significant for all involved. And as anyone who has witnessed one of these events knows, there is plenty to go around as hundreds of mothers, daughters, sisters, and grandmothers cross the finish line beaming with pride and accomplishment. This too, consistently amazes me. www.endurancemag.com/ramblinrose
For our cover story, Charlie Engle, along with his partner Marshall Ulrich, is about to embark on a mission that is certain to test his positive consciousness as they strive to cross the US from San Francisco to New York City in 45 days - on foot. Imagine what your perspective would be after running across the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range only to find, once on the other side, that you see nothing but desert as you start into Nevada - with 80% of the country still left to cross. Is it:
"Holy crap, I just ran across the Sierras! - I am awesome!" or perhaps,
"I'll never make it across this miserably endless desert".
Which way would you see it? [Their run starts on September 13th.] www.runningamerica08.com
Some would argue there is a collective energy - a collective consciousness - that exists for us all to tap into - that affects all of us. The more positive energy we put out there, the more there will be for each of us. Our Endurance Magazine Citizen team will be looking for some of that energy at the Duke Half Ironman (especially on the run portion) this month. If you have a moment on September 14th, feel free to send some our way.
Inspire. Perform. Endure.
-Steve
PS - Rule #63: Never pass up an opportunity to compare yourself, no matter how far-reaching, to the most decorated Olympian of all time.
Dancing with Matt Harding - world changer of a different variety.
Guaranteed to reset your perspective at any time of day. Check out this video!
Welcome to year SIX of Endurance Magazine!
After five full years, 60 issues, of cultivating a growing community of purposefully living fitness enthusiasts, we are thrilled to look ahead at all we have to do over the next five. It's what inspires us to do what we do. Over the years, we've strived to motivate, educate, and inspire readers to embrace the Endurance Lifestyle. Along the way, we have been introduced to some truly amazing people - world changers. From Scott Johnson, the Ironman triathlete who succeeded in being the first double-lung transplant to reach the finish line, to Spencer Lueders, the passionate philanthropist who sparked a cycling revolution across the region with his now nationally renowned 24 Hours of Booty ride, to Molly Barker, founder and inspirational leader of Girls on The Run, to Charlie Engle, the man who ran across the Sahara Desert bringing awareness for the need of clean drinking water across this most critical part of the world, to Winny Tonui, the native Kenyan who recently came to the US to become a professional runner, transcending cultural barriers and inspiring an adult population across her home village to live more healthfully. There are many many more (see them all on our soon to be released archives section online at endurancemag.com) and we showcase these people because they are exactly what we all love to find in ourselves: A sense of purpose, an awareness of self, and an attitude of possibility.
