ISSUE #69 - May 24th, 2019

ONE

SPORTS - When the "wouldn't it be awesome to be Athlete X" game comes around, I've had the same answer for about twenty years and it always surprises people.  Yes, it would be cool to be Tom Brady or LeBron or Steph Curry or Bryce Harper or Brooks Koepka or whoever, but when I'm playing that game, I'm picking one dude every time: Laird Hamilton. Big wave surfing. Living on Hawaii and in Malibu. On the ocean or in the mountains all the time. Stays in insane shape and enjoys the hell out of life. That's my guy. So when he sat down with one of my favorite podcasters, Joe Rogan, this week, it was a must listen...and it didn't disappoint.

TWO

 FITNESS - I have a confession to make to my fellow meatheads: I've been skipping leg day... like... a lot of leg days, actually. Yes, I was running sprints and jump roping and stuff, but I'd taken a break from squats and deadlifts for a while. And I recently started back up and it is PAINFUL. But...  I found a new secret weapon to help me out. Despite using my rumble roller most nights before bed, my legs were still super sore from DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) the 24-48 hours after I did some heavy sets. They'd especially bother me at my desk. So I bought a Sklz Travel Massage Bar and it's amazing. It's about a foot and a half long and is great for rolling out your quads, calves and hammies. It's less than $20 and takes about two minutes to work out a knot or two.

THREE

HEALTH - Hey, did I mention how sore my legs have been the last few days? I did? Great. In addition to the massage bar I've been upping my tart cherry intake as well because there is some research out there that shows it can help with muscle sorenes...plus, I like how it tastes.  While cruising our local health food store I found a drink called Drink Melon, with organic watermelon and Tart Cherry juice as its main ingredients. It almost tastes like a fruit cocktail or something you'd add vodka too (not a bad idea)...which means it's pretty good. A twelve-pack is pricey and I don't think I'd buy one, but if you happen to come across it after a set of squats that makes every step hurt, I'd give it a shot.

FOUR

MOVIES - Whether the John Wick series is Keanu Reeves' masterpiece or The Matrix is or Speed is or Bill & Ted is, I think we can all agree on a few things: He's made some of the most memorable movies of the last 25 years and by all accounts is an amazing guy. For instance...  This story shared by SB Nation writer James Dator is the kind of thing we hear about Keanu all the time, but it happened to him and I'm glad he shared it. Definitely worth a few minutes to read about a mega star who seems to totally understand how small acts of kindness and being cool can leave a huge impression. Check out the twitter thread here. 

FIVE

A TREMENDOUS QUOTE TO LIVE BY:  “Instructions for living a life: pay attention, be astonished, tell about it." - Mary Oliver  Mary Oliver was a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet who passed away earlier this year. I recently came across her writing and when I saw that quote, it struck me as so simple and so true that I wrote it down to share.