Quick Spin: Edibles, Budget Cuts, and a Very Long Run
News, gear, and mildly unhinged endurance choices.
Oh boy, hey everyone! It’s been a minute and I’ve been wanting to switch this weekly newsletter from Mondays to Fridays, so this two-week break felt like the perfect reset. So much is happening on a daily basis in the news cycle, and striking the balance between avoiding it entirely for the sake of mental health and doomscrolling into oblivion is…..tough. I’ll try to keep things informative but not soul-crushing.
In other news, I’ve been thinking a lot about edibles lately… do they give you anxiety? Lmk.
This past weekend, I ran the Moab Red Hot 55k—a 34-mile ultramarathon on slickrock and desert trails. If you’ve ever considered doing an ultra, let me just say: If I can do it, you can do it. The cool thing with trail ultras (vs road marathons) is the mindset shift. Unless you’re elite or competitive, there’s no pressure to run the entire time—most people walk the uphills!—and you’re often alone, rather than surrounded by hoards of spectators screaming from the sidelines. Both have their perks, but an ultra is more of a mind game—it’s just you vs. you, really. (Which, as someone who hates being yelled at in workout classes, I thrive without the peer pressure.)
One small complication: I broke my toe about two weeks before the race, which led to some weird compensations and knee pain by mile 23 (probably earlier if I’m being honest.) I was feeling defeated because I couldn’t run, so I texted my coach for advice and he said:
“You got this!! It’s more about the adventure than some arbitrary time goal….. that and finishing. :) Enjoy this!!!”
So I decided to walk the last 10 miles and honestly? Had a great time. I was able to spend time at the viewpoint instead of running past it, and I basked in the sunshine. I only cried once! Or twice. The next day, my body only wanted to eat fat/protein and carbs sounded so gross, so I ordered a side of bacon and an iced espresso for breakfast.
You may be wondering wtf is going on with Medicaid—the largest health insurance program which provides coverage to 70 million Americans. We all are. It’s in political limbo. Trump claims he won’t touch it, but House Republicans are tasked with finding $880 BILLION in savings to offset his proposed tax cuts. Impossible to do without significantly slashing this essential program. The federal government currently covers 90% of Medicaid costs, while states handle the other 10%. If the federal budget gets cut, states would have to pick up the slack, which seems unlikely.
Instead of gutting Medicaid, why not address why healthcare costs are so gouged in the first place?
Is Trump lying about cutting Medicaid, or is it Congress?, Vox
As GOP eyes Medicaid cuts, states could be left with vast shortfalls, NYT
You’ve probably heard by now that over 3,400 Forest Service and National Park employees were laid off. Some of those lay offs were reversed, but not nearly enough to feel optimistic (especially as Musk has announced more cuts.) This is not only going to have serious impacts on the visitor experience—more trash, longer lines, etc etc—but it’s also dangerous! Fewer people working on wildfire mitigation, drinking water safety, and guest education. In some cases, EMTs and search and rescue personnel were let go. Cool! What could go wrong!
Forest Service Layoffs and Frozen Funds Increase The Risk From Wildfires, NYT
US Forest Service Firings Decimate Already Understaffed Agency, Grist
A bit off topic but interesting to watch the slow death of a once great magazine: Outside Magazine recently laid off 20 members of its staff and bought……. Inntopia: a software platform for hotel booking? A very strange move for a purported publication. This comes after their NFT phase, a failed TV channel, and whatever else the CEO has cooked up.
Other Things I’ve Liked This Week:
🏃♀️ I used Nathan’s new Pinnacle Pro 12L running vest for the ultra—for the first time on race day. Oops. But it was completely fantastic. Pockets everywhere but fits slim to the body no matter how loaded you have it. Only slight complaint is the straps are harder to attach than they have to be.
✨ I got this Mediheal mask as part of a gifting suite for a wellness event with Yuzu, the dating app for the Asian community. I wore one before bed the other night and woke up looking somewhat refreshed?
🎧 These over-ear LIVV headphones are designed for working out and I’ve been testing them at the gym for the last few weeks. The auto-stop is sort of sensitive if you wear them over your hair, but they don’t move an inch while you’re bench pressing or doing a floor ab workout. 50 hours of play time!!
🟢 I’m not a big greens girlie (I hate drinking gross powders and doing dishes), but these superfoods greens gummies from Gruns make it so easy to feel like I’m doing a good thing for my body first thing in the morning. I hate that I’m addicted now because I’ll probably have to buy them.
🌸 Cyklar’s perfume oils blew up on TikTok because 1) the brand is going ham on advertising and 2) they are beautifully packaged and pretty affordable. I tested all 8 and was disappointed because there just wasn’t much variety between the bunch (maybe my smell isn’t very refined)—except for this exquisite floral one, Bergamot Bond, that smells like fresh honeysuckle.
📰 Mia Soto’s latest for the Verge is about the fan-girl frenzy of Luigi Mangione. Also, the watercolor courtroom sketches? Art. I mean, come on:
