Gain’s in Bloosh
If you’re a fan of Parks and Rec, you’ll get the reference. If you’re not, Bloosh is Anabel Porter’s app with all the hottest trends for the citizens of Pawnee, and here is what’s trending for me right now.
Grape seltzer - It all started at Taylor’s bachelor party in May, someone ordered a drink with grape juice, a transfusion. I tried a sip and ever since I had a craving for something grape. I can’t get enough of the Spindrift Grape, it’s so good. When we visited some friends in Maryland, they had Waterloo Grape seltzer, and it’s even better than the Spindrift. Grape Olli Pop is good too, but just not as crushable as the seller for me.
Momentous Fuel - For a long time my mindset was, “I’m not going to eat during a run unless I absolutely have to.” That’s changed over the past couple years based off conversations with Briana, and I’ve been trying to be more proactive. Specifically on shorter runs, I’ve been taking a scoop of Momentous Fuel. Not only do I think it’s been helping during runs, especially on really hot and humid days, but I think it’s helping me recover faster (or feel less depleted) after the fact too. They have two flavors, strawberry lime and cherry berry, and honestly I can’t tell much of a difference between them. For longer runs, I’ve been throwing double scoops into one bottle for some extra concentrated calories and electrolytes. On my big mountain adventure this past Sunday, I used 6 scoops total over 10 hours (along with some other solid food). I’m working on tallying up all my calories for that day so stay tuned.
Merrill Vapor Glove Shoes - I got my first pair of these in 2019 right before our honeymoon and walked all over the Azores with them. Hannah thought they looked silly, but all barefoot shoes do so I dealt with it. I replaced that pair this year, and they have been my daily shoes for a couple months now, and I really like them. They’re thin and flexible, have some treads on them if I want to wear them for a hike with the kids and I usually do my easy neighborhood jogs wearing them as well. Instead of lacing up my trail running shoes, I use my neighborhood jogs (usually pushing a stroller) as a chance to work on my foot strength and running stride. The best part is that these come in at about half the price of the more fancy barefoot shoes - I’m having a hard time paying nearly $200 for less material, less structured shoes that only last a few months.
Strong Ankles - Speaking of foot strength, my left ankle has given me a lot of trouble since I first sprained it about 400m into a Pemi Loop attempt in 2018. Each year I typically sprain it again, and last year I would often lose stability and roll it, even running on flat ground, twinging it and leaving it tender for a day or two. This summer I realized my 9 month break from running was really helpful. I took August 2023-April 2024 completely off from running focused on getting really strong. I followed an Olympic weightlifting plan, and was squatting frequently, snatching, cleaning, jerking and deadlifting 4-5 days per week for months, and I got much stronger, hitting PRs in all the big lifts. All that strength has me feeling really strong charging uphills and I’m confident on my ankle for the first time in a long while.
Go Macro Bars - I’m not sure if it’s a new flavor or not, but they recently started carrying Cashew Blueberry at Market Basket, and I’m a big fan. There’s also a new Mocha one that I’m quite fond of. I typically eat one of these bars 30-60 minutes before a workout.
That’s what’s been trending in my fitness life lately, tell me what you’ve been into this summer.
Justin Miner
@justinminergain