A publisher whose business is fitness

Where do you find article ideas?

I read a lot of newsletters in the health and fitness space, so that’s one place. Also, because I’ve been running for so long, a lot of my community and friend group are runners or people just interested in fitness and exercise. So conversations happen organically between people I know, and then I have to do the work to test whether certain ideas are solid or just anecdotal. At Outside, I also had a fantastic stable of columnists and reporters who were in the field, keeping up with new research and constantly having conversations with people.

Is there an Outside article you’re particularly proud of?

I ran a column for about seven years called “Sweat Science,” written by Alex Hutchinson. He has covered emerging science in endurance sports and exercise science. He has a Ph.D. in physics and is an elite runner, but he had such a talent for distilling takeout. Working with him really informed my whole philosophy about the role of service journalism in this space and how important it is to have a skeptical eye, but also be empathetic.

I’ve also worked on many stories about the gender gap in sports science research and how little research is done on women. Many of these stories were written by Christine Yu, who went on to write a book about how many training and nutrition protocols are based on small studies that intentionally do not include women, and what this means for female athletes.

What song is on repeat in your workout playlist?

I don’t listen to music when I run.

Oh. Why?

I like to be aware of my surroundings and the outdoors. Even if I’m doing the same lap around a park for the millionth time, I like feeling like I’m soaking it up. Also, on a more technical level, I find it harder to gauge my effort level if I’m listening to something.

So you’re just listening to your own internal monologue?

Yes unfortunately.