We blinked and what was August became October which has us all wondering if time is actually accelerating as we write this. During the past month we came off our UTMB contact high only to be swept off our feet by amazing GTWS performances here on home soil. When reflecting on what helped us survive a hectic end to summer we’ve got a combination of road warrior hacks and comforts of home to bring you into fall.

Dylan

1. Speedland GS:PGH – The brand new commission of Speedland footwear has officially started shipping out. The GS:PGH, inspired by Speedland athlete, trail runner, and bowhunter, Cam Hanes, has a slightly softer midsole durometer from its predecessor the GS:TAM. I probably shouldn’t admit this publicly, but I like the GS:PGH even more than my personal commission. Shhhh.
   
2. Master of Change – I recently finished reading Master of Change by Brad Stulberg. In a follow up to his amazing book The Practice of Groundedness, Master of Change challenges the reader to cultivate what Stulberg calls “rugged flexibility” in the face of life’s constant flux and unpredictability. As someone whose life has been filled with change in recent years, this book really hit home.

Ryan 

1. Patagonia Black Hole Duffel – Where in the world is Ryan Thrower? Everywhere, the answer is everywhere. If you’ve kept tabs on me you’ll know I haven’t been home in a hot second. Because of that I have basically been living out of this bag since early August. At some points with my camera gear it is well over 50 pounds and everything holds up! For those curious on sizing, I have the 55-Liter and think it’s perfect.

2. Zinc – With as much travel as I do, in what has become a never ending summer, I’ve been pulling out all the stops to avoid getting sick. I have been taking Zinc with Vitamin C religiously to stay freakin’ healthy as I walk past sneezes and coughs at the airport. Not glamorous but practical!

Harmony

1. Martin, Marten by Brian Doyle – Years ago, my mom gifted me this book and I genuinely couldn’t believe it. Really? A book about a marten? For adults? It was a hard no for me. It took until one night recently when I was so deeply bored that I finally cracked it open. And the joke was on me! Brian Doyle is…. incredible. His writing is so unique and sing-songy, I re-read many sections multiple times and occasionally laughed out loud because the writing is so fun. If you want a fascinating and unexpected read, and especially if you’re based in the PNW where this takes place, I highly recommend it. Fun fact: Tyler Green mentioned Brian Doyle and this book on his podcast with Dylan last month!

2. Dopesick – I first watched Dopesick way back in October 2021 when Dylan was traveling to Réunion Island for the Grand Raid. I was absolutely taken by the series – it’s riveting, shocking and will make you laugh and cry. Upon his return, I tried to get Dylan to watch it, but it never happened. I so much as forgot about it until Painkiller launched on Netflix and Dylan couldn’t wait to watch it. We both found the series – no pun intended – painfully bad, and so I was finally able to get him hooked on Dopesick, the eerily similar, yet significantly better show of the two. With an all-star cast, incredible storytelling and character development, this one checks all the boxes.

Corrine 

1. Temple Pastries – What’s that? You’ve never heard of Temple Pastries? Good – more for me! When we moved to Seattle and I realized we wouldn’t be ‘up north’ in the happening Fremont or Capitol Hill neighborhoods I was a little devastated… How was I going to get my fix at the incredible Sea Wolf bakery now? Enter Temple Pastries – professionals in lamination (get at me croissant dough) they have also recently added more bread baking to their rotation sending me completely over the edge. Before I start using this article to construct a love poem to them, let me just encourage you to swing only a little ways off I-5 or I-90 next time you pass through.
   
2. Two Hot Takes Podcast – Have you ever craved trashy television for your ears? Let me level with you. I know I’m generally a serious, sciencey, overwhelmingly nerdy human being… but sometimes I have to pass on my usual love affair with NPR, or another long form running interview for something, well, a little more fun! Then Two Hot Takes came into my life. Not only has it accompanied me on many long runs recently but I literally downloaded roughly 15 hours of previous episodes and chain smoked them driving to and from Montana two weeks ago. Is it that good? Only one way to find out!

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