Simplavida Sunday:

Our weekly-ish roundup of things we watched, thought about, and did while training.

On the Site:

We had two new posts up that got lots of interest and sparked conversation:

1. Lactate. Howard wrote a practical and hands-on piece about why lactate has gone from being thought of as unhelpful exercise by product, to what may be the ultimate biomarker.
2. Aging and the limits of performance. Paul had a video discussion on aging the surprising limits of human performance, with Professor Lorcan Daly of the Technological University of the Shannon. Professor Daly has written a series of papers on 50+ world champion indoor rowers, with many implications and takeaways for people trying to be fit at any age.

A new video coming next week, this time on dietary fiber, one of Paul's obsessions.

Podcasts:

Paul listened to the first two episodes of the Legacy series on Charles Dickens. I haven't made up my mind about the hosting—i find it a bit gee whiz and lighweight—even if a fan of Peter Frankopan, but the topic is one of Paul's favorites:

• Charles Dickens | Hard Times - Legacy https://pca.st/kx7a0s63
• Charles Dickens | Dickensmania - Legacy https://pca.st/e5wha062

Books:

While running Paul finished the audiobook of 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare, which I highly recommend highly. Like the bard's plays, it requires patience, but it rewards that patience twice over, with a wonderful meditation on Shakespeare in his own time, and how that influenced his plays, the wordplay within, and his topics.

Music:

Here are Paul's five most listened-to tracks of the week, mostly while running (according to StatsforSpotify). Note: Paul has terrible taste.

• Every Picture Tells A Story - Rod Stewart
• American Wedding - Frank Ocean
• Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd
• Creep - Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, Haley Reinhart
• The Suburbs - Arcade Fire

Gear:

No new gear recommendations, although a backcountry skier friend and I agreed that Nitecore NU25 is the best combo running/touring headlamp out there.

Being Stupid:

In a new segment, Paul will showcase anything genuinely stupid he did this past week while training, which turns out to be a rich vein.

Last week, while trail running, he was speeding up and trying to look faster than he is, stubbed his toe on a rock, fell hard, and skidded down an incline on his left side, neatly removing a good chunk of the skin on his left lip and left forearm, and tearing a shirt to shreads. Because he is a male, he popped right up, feigned feeling fine, and then bled copiously once out of sight of strangers.

Back next week with more updates and insights.