For me it's NUDITY hands down! If you've never been to Seattle during the Summer solstice you are missing the BUSH...I mean boat. Freudian slip...my bad!

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Oh the fresh smell of dope with 360 degree views of (bumb)crack. Running through Fremont during the solstice parade NEVER disappoints.

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Nothing also beats getting on the other side of Dec 21st in Seattle. I don't know about you but I like to celebrate the Winter solstice by going to Georgetown.

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Georgetown is an industrial part of the city that's dark, gloomy, and damp. Kinda makes you feel like you're in Gotham City.

This time I paid Georgetown Brewery a visit and why not bring the kids?! The brewery has all this shit figured out...

The moment they catch a kid in their crosshairs...out come the lollipops. For Dadda it was a BIG OL' GROWLER of WHOOPSIE (a tasty seasonal IPA). For Liv & Kai it was the BIG OL' BLUE TOOTSIEs. That look on their face when they discovered the pops turned their tongues smurf blue...
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Before you accuse me of bad parenting...

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Here's the deal...the kids only get to enjoy the tootsie pops once they get back to Casa Johnson. It must be the longest 15' drive of their lives. Mama Mimi's rules though! Excellent delayed gratification training IMO. They can thank me later in life...

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I hope the holidays this year at least afforded you an escape from any annoying family members...and we all got em'.

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We've been fortunate to spend time with my in-laws over the past few weeks. It's been great to have them back in our life as we were distancing from them when Liv was attending school.

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It's tough to imagine how many young families carry on without having the help of a village. Actually...I do...have you seen cartoons these days?!

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In all seriousness, 2020 has been tough. I'll never forget when the reality of the pandemic set in. It was 4:30am and Jay Dicharry had phoned me telling me..."Don't go to the airport...go back to bed." He and I had planned to meet at SEA-TAC and travel to Charlottesville for the UVA Running Conference. Needless to say that event went virtual.

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A few things have become clear from this pandemic with regards to what matters most in life. It's family, friends, and our (MENTAL) health. Amazon, Netflix, and the Wahoo Kickr are a close second though. Am I right?! Can you imagine life without them?!

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In all seriousness, I wanted to leave you with a list of my major takeaways from 2020. I'd love to hear yours too so feel free to drop me an email...

• Pandemics are NO JOKE!
• The solution to a problem rarely needs to match the size of the problem
• “Running away from a problem only increases the distance from the solution”
• In science we trust
• Nothing beats a walk for mental health and general well-being
• When is Groundhog Day II coming out? I would write the script!
• Not having a compass as an athlete is tough but a reminder of the importance of process. 7x52x10 as my dear friend Joel Sattgast likes to say.
• What's swimming???
• Don't put off building that home gym
• Trust & transparency have never been more important
• I'm here to listen...I care about you.
• Take care of thy elders & our healthcare workers!

I also wanted to offer up my perspective and thoughts on training through a pandemic as an athlete and clinician-coach.

• Respect life as a traffic light. Think of the current times as a yellow or red light
• Realize that we are all living through a negative life event (NLE). NLEs lead to psychosocial stress, compromised recovery, & economy (Otter et al. 2016)
• Strive for consistency & exercise caution if you catch yourself becoming opportunistic
• Keep things loose and embrace variability in training.
• Training monotony leads to staleness
• Respect your ecosystem
• Understand that it's normal to become hyperaware of any aches, pains, & niggles. This likely stems from a multitude of factors. The main one being the fact that we are spending more time indoors on our butts & not moving as much during the day. We also don't have enough stimuli to distract us.
• Extend your warm-up & cool down when training. For example, if you are planning to enjoy a run start with 10-15' walk to unplug from the day & check in with yourself. Finish with a 5-10' walk to avoid the going back to sitting immediately post run.
• Focus on appropriate fueling around training.
• Ritualize your sleep. Power off all devices and keep em' out of your bedroom.

Finally, I wanted leave you with a few exercises that I spent a lot of time doing & prescribing over the past several months. The beauty of em' is that all you need are some bands and bodyweight and you are in business. While the precise exercise parameters will vary b/w people, I put forth a simple framework that will hopefully give you a lens into how to progress things. Aim to pick any 2-3 and have at em.

• ​March to overhead reach​
• Wk 1 - 2x45-60s
• Wk 2 - 3x45-60s
• Wk 3 - 4x45-60s
• Notes: stick the position at the top of the range for 2-3s
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• ​Band-resisted row in squat
• Wk 1 - 2 sets completing reps til' you hit an 8/10 on the RPE scale.
• Wk 2 - 3 sets completing reps til' you hit an 8/10 on the RPE scale.
• Wk 3 - 4 sets completing reps til' you hit an 8/10 on the RPE scale.
• Notes: rest 1.5 work duration & use a medium to heavy monster band
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• ​Push-up holds +/- alternating shoulder taps​
• Wk 1 - 2 rounds of 30-60s
• Wk 2 - 3 rounds of 30-60s
• Wk 3 - 4 rounds of 30-60s
• Notes: work to rest should be 1:1. If you are up for the alternating shoulder taps widen your feet so they are 2x shoulder width apart. Keep your pelvis square w/ the floor or ground
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• ​Band-resisted lateral toe taps to a metronome​
• Wk 1 - 2 sets @ 30 beats per minute (bpms) alternating b/w sides. Work up to an 8/10 on the RPE scale
• Wk 2 - 3 sets @ 30 beats per minute (bpms) alternating b/w sides. Work up to an 8/10 on the RPE scale
• Wk 3 - 4 sets @ 30 beats per minute (bpms) alternating b/w sides. Work up to an 8/10 on the RPE scale
• Notes: aim to use a blue or black mini band from perform better.com (they make the best bands). Aim to keep your nose & navel aligned and square. Rest as needed to ensure optimal form.
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• ​Bridge + straight leg raise (SLR)​
• Wk 1 - 4x10-20s holds alternating b/w sides
• Wk 2 - 5x10-20s holds alternating b/w sides
• Wk 3 - 6x10-20s holds alternating b/w sides
• Notes: keep your pelvis square and don't let your bottom sink to the ground. If this is too easy gradually work your heel away from your bottom to further challenge the hamstring complex and posterior chain.
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• ​Shoulder extension holds in standing​
• Wk 1 - 1 set of 5x10s holds on 10s rest
• Wk 2 - 2 sets of 5x10s holds on 10s rest
• Wk 3 - 3 sets of 5x10s holds on 10s rest
• Notes: use lightweight tubing and keep the elbows straight, palms facing forward, & arms parallel with your torso. Gently broaden your shoulders.

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​Reminders:

• We've had some incredible guests on the Runner's Zone podcast as of late. To have a listen & subscribe CLICK HERE​
• I've been pumping out content on Instagram for runners and triathletes. Check it out HERE & give me a follow if you like.
• Here are a few recent posts that have received incredible viewership. Click the title to check it out.
• ​"Can I Run?" ​
• ​What Tissues Are Involved With Running?​
• ​"Ready to Run?"​
• I also hold The Weekly RUNDown on Instagram with me mate, Nathan Carlson, on Thursdays at 11am. If you have questions that you want answered please let us know.

Wishing you and yours a HEALTHY, HAPPY, & STRONG New Year. Thanks for being a part of my life. Onward!!! Here's to 2021 and greener pastures! We'll get on the other side of this...

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Yours in Health,

Chris

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