Meet the 2017 Badger Sponsorship Winners!

At the beginning of this month, we unveiled the 2017 Badger Sponsorship, where a handful of aspiring thru-hikers would win some very tubular gear, food, and resources, including a grand prize of…

Choice between one (1) Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 or Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 tent
Choice of one (1) Gossamer Gear Backpack
One (1) REI Igneo Sleeping Bag
One (1) Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite Sleeping Pad
Four (4) $100 Gift Cards to Altra
Three (3) pairs of Wigwam Socks
One (1) pair of Bedrock Sandals
One (1) pair of Injinji Toe Socks
Three (3) Granite Gear eVent Sil Dry Sacs
One (1) Sawyer Squeeze
Ten (10) boxes of CLIF Nut Butter Filled Bars
Five (5) boxes of PROBAR Meal and three (3) boxes of PROBAR Base
Twelve (12) Good To-Go Dehydrated Meals
Three (3) Thru-Hiking Coaching Sessions
A signed copy of Appalachian Trials or Pacific Crest Trials (your choice)
An eBook copy of Appalachian Trials or Pacific Crest Trials (your choice)
One (1) Trek Truckker Hat
An invitation to become a Blogger for The Trek

Contestants were asked to create a 90-second video explaining why they should be chosen as this year’s Badger Sponsorship victor. ...

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Slackblock Balance Trainer Review

Slackblock Balance Trainer Review

SlackBlock Balance Trainer
Grade: ?
Teacher’s Comments: I think it does the job, but I frankly have had trouble incorporating it into my training regime.

Balance is at the core of nearly every sport. Watch a beautiful golf swing from Adam Scott or Fred Couples, and you will see great balance. Watch Julio Jones snag a ball from the air and you will see great balance. Watch Michael Jordan fly toward the basket, and you see great balance.

Most amateur athletes don’t have that kind of balance. Slack Block aims to help you with that.

The SlackBlock consists of a board with a gritty, non-slip surface, mounted to a foam base. Tee goal is to balance on the SlackBlock on one foot for up to two minutes at a time. As you might expect, that foam base makes that more difficult than it seems. To say on top of the board requires a great deal of balance, and also of foot and ankle strength.

SlackBlock can be used with the feet in parallel to the block, at an angle or perpendicular. The angled to the block position helps the balance with rotational sports, such as golf. The use of the SlackBlock is best seen in this video.

Does it work? I am having a hard time with that answer. Try as I might, I have had trouble incorporating the SlackBlock into my regular exercise routine. I hit the gym to lift weights three times a week, have regular stretching routines, spend time crunching out my knots with an exercise roller and walk daily. There is only so much time in a day.

It is not that Slack Block is difficult, or even enormously time consuming. Two minutes balancing on each foot, in each of three different angles equals a total of twelve minutes, plus whatever time  needed to get back up on the block (I fall off a lot), and time off between sets. So maybe twenty minutes total.

I will have to try again to build it into my routines as we head into the new golf season. Given my inability to stay on the block for long, I think it’s pretty clear that I need to work on balance.

SlackBlock inventor Jim Klopman also has published a book, Balance is Power, in which he explains his theory of balance as “our sixth and most important sense,” describes ways in which balance is critical to our healthy existence and briefly prescribes routines to improve your balance.

 

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Farmers Insurance Open Video Preview

This Farmers Insurance Open Video Preview highlights the return of Tiger Woods to the Farmers Insurance Open, an event which he has won seven times. It is his first official PGA Tour appearance in nearly two years.

The tournament also will feature:

• 15 of the 30 players who made it to the 2016 TOUR Championship will compete in the Farmers Insurance Open: Dustin Johnson, Paul Casey, Jason Day, Kevin Chappell, Emiliano Grillo, Hideki Matsuyama, Jimmy Walker, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson, Si Woo Kim, Gary Woodland, Roberto Castro, Daniel Berger, Jhonattan Vegas and J.B. Holmes.
• Three of the top six in the Official World Golf Ranking, including world No. 1 Jason Day, Dustin Johnson (3) and Hideki Matsuyama (6).
• Seven of the top 10 in the FedExCup standings, including Hideki Matsuyama (2), Pat Perez (3), Brendan Steele (4), Mackenzie Hughes (5), Hudson Swafford (6), Rod Pampling (7) and Adam Hadwin (10).
• Seven past champions are in the field: Brandt Snedeker (2016, 2012) Jason Day (2015), Scott Stallings (2014), Tiger Woods (seven times, most recently 2013) Ben Crane (2010), Nick Watney (2009), Phil Mickelson (1993, 2000-01).

 

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Rapha Brevet Long Sleeve Windblock jersey – review

Luxurious, versatile jersey from Rapha, which should see plenty of use from autumn to spring The Rapha Brevet Long Sleeve Windblock is a cracking jersey which will get plenty of use from autumn through to spring. It’s a luxurious piece, thanks to the merino construction, and has the high attention to detail you would expect […]

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Could a cycling coach be your best investment in 2017?

Should you invest in new kit or employ the services of a coach in pursuit of your goals? At the end of every year, the dinner party chatter and social media feeds of clubs are packed with riders’ declarations of targets for the following year. We’ve all had a target that we’d like to achieve, […]

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Orient Sun and Moon Automatic Watch

Orient Sun and Moon Automatic Watch

This Orient Sun and Moon Automatic watch is absolutely beautiful. From the product description

The Orient Sun and Moon combines classic design combined with high functionality for a truly unique aesthetic. The intricacies of the dial are immaculate and one could say that it crosses the watch from the executive look to classic territory. From the concentric pattern on the other ring to the guilloche-styled finish on the interior and sub dials, the new Sun and Moon has all the markings and embellishments of a luxury watch.

What will also be noticed is the incredible depth of the dial—from the looks of the date window cut out, it appears as though the dial is built in layers. This comes as no surprise as the case is measured at 14.1mm thick. The day indicator sub dial is embossed and the sun and moon indicator is raised above all.

The hands and Roman numerals on the watch are in a rich black color that contrasts nicely with the white dial. The color contrast drawn from the sun and moon disk, red Sunday highlight, and Orient logo, really ties the look of the watch together.

This watch has a sun and moon (or AM to PM) indicator between 10 and 11:00 on the dial. The date is between 7:00 and 8:00 with the day of the week shown in a sub-dial between 2:00 and 3:00. The watch is powered by a Orient made 21-jewel automatic (self-winding) movement and it is housed in a brushed 42.5mm stainless steel case. A sapphire crystal is included to guard against scratches. The watch comes with an alligator grained leather strap with a buckle closure.

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The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Training for the AT (in Winter)

This is my plan. My plan may not work for you.* To each his/her own!
 
Nutrition
Eat lots of Ramen. Add things to it like veggies and eggs and tell yourself you’re experimenting for life on the trail. Eat all the Kraft mac & cheese. Lie to yourself about this too. If you eat it out of your backpacking pot/mug/bowl in your kitchen, it’s basically the truth. Try every Pop-Tart flavor as “research.” Make a spinach smoothie or two because you’re not going to be getting those for a while. ...

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