The Goods: Trail Running Favorites
Shut-In Champs Reveal Their Go-To GearThe beauty of living in the Southern Appalachians is that it’s always trail running season. Aside from a few rogue storms, trail conditions are amicable year-round. Still, it’s safe to say that spring is prime time for hitting the dirt. You’re coming off of winter and looking to get back into fighting shape, the leaves are budding, and you’ve got a full slate of races to train for. It’s time to hit the trails, hard, so we talked with the reigning champs of the Shut In Ridge Trail Run, one of the most respected trail races east of the Rockies, about their favorite running gear.Last year, Luke Paulson took the men’s title during his first year running the Shut In. “There’s so much hype around that race, which makes it a lot of fun,” Paulson says. “And it’s an interesting distance—it’s long (17.8 miles) but not too long, and most of the runners know the trail really well, so people are moving fast.”Anne Wheatly has won the Shut In two years in a row, but says winning the race gets tougher each year. “I love the fact that the women’s field grows and gets more competitive,” Wheatly says. “There was a pack of 10 women right behind me this year, which I thought was fantastic.”Wheatly and Paulson guided us through their favorite pieces of running gear as they prepare for another season of trail racing.
Shut-In champ Anne Wheatly photos by Andy WickstromAnne WheatlySalomon Advanced Skin 5 I like to use a pack during longer runs. The Advanced Skin fits so well, and Salomon makes a lot of sizes so you can find the right fit for your torso. There’s room for a bladder and handhelds on either side, so you can customize it the way you want. I’ve had this pack for a long time, but when you love a piece of gear, you don’t want to let it go. $155; salomon.com Tracksmith Grayboy Tank Amateur Tracksmith’s stuff is really fantastic, with a classic New England style. Their stuff is cut a little better to fit a woman’s body, too. I love this tank, which I think is so funny. $52; Tracksmith.comStance Snowboarding SocksThese aren’t technically running socks, but they’re made with a wool blend, and really comfortable and really funky. I pull them up high on colder runs to add some color and variation to the wardrobe. $18; Stance.com Oiselle Homerun Half Zip Oiselle only makes women’s running clothing and they do a fantastic job at it. I love just about everything they make, but the Homerun Half Zip stands out. It has thumb holes, a rear zipper pocket and is made from a soft and stretchy polyester and spandex blend. $78; oiselle.com
Shut-In champ Luke Paulson photos by Andy WickstromLuke PaulsonON CloudventureMy shoe preferences fluctuate with the terrain and mileage I’m doing, but recently I’ve been into these shoes from ON. The Cloudventure is nothing too fancy, but it’s a lightweight shoe with good tread. And it’s really responsive. $150; On-running.com The North Face Flight Better Than Naked Jacket This jacket is so lightweight, it feels like nothing at all, but it’s windproof and water resistant so it can keep bad weather at bay when you’re on a run. $60; thenorthface.com Garmin Forerunner 25 I always run with a Garmin GPS. The 25 isn’t the fanciest watch they make, but I like that it only has a few functions. I don’t want a map or heart rate or anything like that. I want to know how fast I’m going and how far I’m going. That’s it. And that’s what this watch does. $99; garmin.com More GearMaloja Rica Women’s JacketYou may not have heard on Maloja on this side of the pond, but this European company produces some of the world’s best technical ski and winter apparel. Made of superfine nylon and wool with Primaloft paddling, the windproof and water-resistant Rica is both rugged and beautiful, featuring two zip front pockets, and elastic cuff and waistband binding. It is the perfect winter jacket for outdoor adventure in Southern Appalachia, providing breathable warmth, durability, and mobility on the slopes, on the trail, or in the backcountry. $265
LEKI Micro Flash CarbonThese foldable trail running poles feature lightweight but rugged carbon shafts, cork grips, carbide trail running tips, and push-button release mechanisms for fast and simple assembly. They take up a mere 37 centimeters in your pack, and the added speed, stability, and support they provide are worth all 192 grams. $179.95
Garmont Ushuay GTX Hiking BootNamed for the adventure hub and gateway to Antarctica, these winter boots provide lightweight, insulated performance for cold, snow, and ice. The Vibram outsole is super-grippy, even on ice and frozen terrain, and the waterproof outer kept feet dry even in soggy Southern Appalachian slush. $175
Vasque St. Elias Full-GrainGORE-TEX BootLooking for the go-to boot for big adventures in 2019? The updated St. Elias provides long-distance durability and all-day comfort right out of the box. The waterproof, rugged boot can handle any technical trail and is perfect for tackling Southern Appalachian summits this spring. $129
Larisa Cerić was named the Athlete of the Year, in an event organized by the Olympic Committee of Bosnia and Herzegovina.The 23-year-old judo team member received the recognition of the Olympic Committee of BiH thanks to winning second place at the European Championships in Montpellier, third in the Grand Prix in Bucharest and first places at European competitions.Cerić was declared the most successful female athlete in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2014, while the award for the most successful male athletes in 2014 were won by both alpine skier Igor Laikert and judo athlete Harun Sadiković.BiH Olympic Committee’s recognition of the most successful coach was given to Branislav Crnogorac, selector of the judo national team in Bosnia and Herzegovina.The most successful football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the year 2014 is the football team A, the most successful sports clubs in 2014 are Athletic club Borac and Basketball Club Spars. The best young athletes in the junior category in 2014 is the judo athlete Aleksandra Samardžić and Vedad Ramić (swimming). (Source: Fena)
The result left Liverpool in third place in Group C with one game left, three points behind Napoli and two adrift of PSG.Given the tight nature of the group, the Premier League side now have to beat Napoli at Anfield either 1-0 or by two clear goals if they are to be sure of reaching the last 16, otherwise they will be left hoping for a PSG slip-up at Red Star Belgrade.But while Wednesday’s defeat was Liverpool’s fifth in a row away from Anfield in the Champions League, they have not lost at home in the Premier League or in Europe for 18 months, so Klopp has reason to be confident.“Of course, I know that, we need a great atmosphere which is pretty special,” said Klopp, looking ahead to the game on December 11.Napoli will need a draw themselves to ensure progress to the next round. The Italians beat Liverpool 1-0 at home in October and have since drawn twice with PSG.Liverpool supporters looking for inspiration will recall what happened back in 2004-05 — that season Rafa Benitez’s team won the trophy, but only after Steven Gerrard’s stunning goal in their final group game against Olympiakos gave them a 3-1 victory they needed to advance.“Napoli is a really strong side, they played here well, they played against us really well, although we were not that good that night,” Klopp said.“We have to make a special night of it 100 percent if we want to go through.”– ‘Different cup of tea’ –Liverpool were blown away in the first half at the Parc des Princes and failed to recover after Juan Bernat and Neymar scored to put PSG in control.Mohamed Salah tries to escape the attentions of Marco Verratti and Thilo Kehrer in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat in Paris © AFP / FRANCK FIFEA James Milner penalty on the stroke of half-time gave the visitors hope, but they could not get an equaliser after the break and Klopp was left to bemoan “not sportsmanlike behaviour” from the home team.He felt PSG — and chiefly Neymar — play-acted to buy time in the second half, as the away side ended the game with six yellow cards.“It’s just hectic all the time, everyone is going down, it’s not football anymore, but it was an important game and everybody tries to do it like that,” said an exasperated Klopp.The German could also justifiably complain that PSG’s Marco Verratti should have been sent off for a dangerous tackle on Joe Gomez in the first half, but the reality was that Liverpool were well beaten as Neymar inspired the hosts.Their form abroad remains in stark contrast to their domestic performances, as they remain unbeaten in their best ever start to a Premier League campaign.There are three domestic games to come before the Napoli decider, starting with the small matter of the Merseyside derby at home to Everton on Sunday.“This game is isolated from the season. It’s the derby, it’s at home, Everton is doing really well this season, they are a completely different cup of tea I would say to the last three years, so it will be a tough one and we have to be 100 percent spot on,” Klopp insisted.“It’s not about showing reactions, it’s about carrying on, go, go, go. Sunday we will be ready again.”0Shares0000(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today) 0Shares0000Jurgen Klopp was unhappy with the antics of some PSG players © AFP / FRANCK FIFEPARIS, France, Nov 29 – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp now has to hope that Anfield will again bring the best out of his team in their decisive final Champions League group game against Napoli after Wednesday’s damaging defeat at Paris Saint-Germain.Last season’s runners-up are in serious danger of a group-stage exit from the competition after losing 2-1 to a Neymar-inspired PSG at the Parc des Princes, as Klopp was outmanoeuvred by his opposite number Thomas Tuchel.
Manchester City defender Jason Denayer has said he was defending a friend after being caught up in a street brawl in Brussels.Footage has emerged on social media of the Belgium international, who spent the past season on loan at Sunderland, kicking out at a man who is punching another man on the ground.The incident occurred outside a nightclub sometime after dawn on Sunday morning.Denayer, 21, says he and his friend were leaving the nightclub when his friend became caught up in an argument which developed into a fight.Two different video clips of the incident are circulating but the longest version shows Denayer initially reluctant to intervene and only does so after his friend is pinned to the ground.In a statement released by his management company, Denayer said: “Of course I regret to have been caught up in a conflict that was not mine to begin with.“I was heading towards my car when I heard a friend screaming out in the street. I ran back when I saw how a man threw my friend on the ground and sat on top of him while hitting him badly.“I saw that my friend was in real danger and I had to interfere. I reacted instinctively, as my only purpose was to protect my friend.”The footage then shows more people becoming involved in the fight. It is understood that Denayer, who is a teetotaller and was to drive his friend home, then managed to break free along with his friend. They encountered some difficulties reaching the car but managed to get away.Denayer had been back home in Belgium for the weekend but is now in Dubai on a pre-planned holiday.The player’s agent, Jesse De Preter, has stressed the importance of understanding the full story rather than making judgements from an eight-second clip of the incident which is being widely circulated.De Preter said: “The images shown in the video are just a part of the story. Jason has explained to us in detail how things have played out and we have no reason to doubt his words.“Jason was not initially involved in the fight. His reaction was to help out his friend and get the aggressor to stop. It was a case of instinctive protection in what was clearly an emergency situation.”De Preter added Denayer was not facing any charges while City have declined to comment on the matter. Jason Denayer: The Belgian defender spent 2016/17 on loan at Sunderland 1