Soccer has officially taken over my summer. For the past week and a half, the World Cup has been a mainstay in my home. My mornings start with match previews, my afternoons are filled by group-stage drama. But as I've sat glued to the screen, I've realized I'm not just watching a tournament. The deeper I get into this World Cup, the more familiar it all feels. Because, in a lot of ways, the World Cup and all it represents is exactly like running.
While the Azzurri have struggled to recapture past glory on the world stage, Italian brand Diadora has been busy building something of a resurgence of its own in the running world. Enter the Diadora Gara Carbon 3. Diadora's flagship racing shoe arrives with a hefty $320 price tag and promises Italian craftsmanship, a rigorously tested midsole, a supremely comfortable upper, and, unfortunately, a colorway with all the flair of a nil-nil draw. Has Diadora improved upon the Gara Carbon 2, or has it followed the Italian national team into disappointment? Let's find out.
This past week has featured two runners on each run. The one running down the road. And the version of me from 3 weeks ago. The version that was not recovering from an illness. The version that was not worried about his training leading up to the Peachtree Road Race. The runner who did not think twice about heading out the door to tackle whatever the training plan had set.
What started as feeling under the weather last Sunday eventually turned into a pneumonia diagnosis by the end of the week. One doctor visit became two, fevers came and went, and instead of tracking miles I found myself tracking temperatures.
What even is a long run? It’s an answer that changes over time. Long runs are relative. Your experience, race goals, and free time all play a role in what a long run actually looks like. There’s no right or wrong definition. And while the distance may change, the mental and physical experience stays surprisingly consistent.
Last summer Ellis and I worked our way through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This spring has been the Star Wars saga. As I write this, we are in Revenge of the Sith, and he is impatiently waiting for the origin of the Obi-Wan “hello there” meme. Watching these with him has changed my perspective on the prequels. I used to pick them apart scene by scene, but seeing his excitement has made it easier to just enjoy them.
The show Survivor had a chokehold on my house growing up. Every Wednesday night at 7, we all found our spot in the living room, and once it started, that…
Thirty-one years ago, Disney released its greatest animated movie: A Goofy Movie. Rewatchable, endlessly quotable, and featuring the iconic song “I2I,” it’s a classic I’ve loved sharing with my sons.…
Pokémon has officially taken over my house. Every room has at least one stray card, and it has quietly turned into an unspoken competition between me and Ellis. Do I…
Watching Jingle All the Way with my family reminded me how ridiculous waiting can feel when something is hyped and just out of reach. In the movie, it was the…
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