After sleeping for a couple of hours, the runners prepared their breakfasts and jumped into their morning rituals while the Road Crew loaded up the sprinter van and tour bus. The race was to begin at 4am, so around 3:45, everyone who wasn’t starting in either vehicle began walking over to the Santa Monica pier. Thai lit some sage to set the tone and clear the air. Lucie was chosen to start the race. With Adam Voidoid as her pacer and navigational guide, they stood with their hands folded by the pier as they worked through their pre-race nerves together. Real change only begins through disruption of a whole, and once the start was announced, Lucie and Adam charged down Colorado Ave from the pier, separating from the group in a real way for the first time and commencing the immeasurable change that would follow. The strategy for the race was to split the six runners into two groups of three. Team A, comprised of Lucie, Thai, and Aric, were to alternate every 10 minutes until they got the team out of LA, which was approximately a marathon. As Lucie and Adam ran, Aric waited in the cramped sprinter van eagerly for his first leg as Remi and Hakim took them to the first rendezvous point. He hopped out for Lucie’s high-five and was off. His perfect running form and incomprehensibly fast clip quickly earned him the name “The Float God.” Adam Talan and Moe followed the runners on bikes, providing entertainment and navigation for the runners. Adam T would step out of the sprinter every so often to sprint ahead to where they might be confused on where to turn or go. As Thai began his intervals, it was clear he would bring unrelenting confidence and grit to the group for the duration. Adam T was locked into his camera view and he took a gnarly spill biking into a parked car. Ignoring his own pain, he put his camera back together with tape. The runners alternated efficiently as they made their way out of Los Angeles while Team B waited in the early morning for their shift. Team A covered the marathon out of LA in 2.5 hours. Once they reached Pasadena, Team B (Leigh, Alex, Brad) tapped in. Remi had been driving all morning, so Hakim took over at this point. Crouched between them, Adam V had a map and timer going to assist with navigation and facilitate runner swap outs. With Team B’s shorter 3-minute intervals, this would now require a lot more attention and energy. Because the entirety of Team Satisfy’s participation in The Speed Project was formed over just a one-month period—including assembling the actual team and crew—Adam V and Remi only had been able to scout the LA portion of the route. So at this point, they were quite actually heading into the unknown. The LA route had required heavy attention to navigation detail, making turns every half-mile and making sure runners knew what to do in time. They hoped this section would be simpler. Alex, Leigh and Brad were flying. The 3-minute intervals allowed them to push and sustain a fast clip. Each of them looked strong and fresh every time they high-fived in. With their backgrounds in city running and cycling, it was entertaining watching them weave through traffic, often incredulously gesticulating at cars when they wouldn’t stop for them. The interplay of honking and body-signing revealed a new and amusing kind of communication. The suburban sprawl of traffic intersections often interfered with precise intervals, as the van would get held up at a light for awhile and have to catch up to the runner. Furthermore, the lack of sidewalks, bike paths or shoulders on a large percentage of this route was a bit anxiogenic and the Road Crew tried as much as they could to create a mobile barricade with the van to protect the runners from any oncoming traffic. Despite being in the unknown and in a group largely comprised of strangers, the vibe and efficiency remained stellar. The communication and flow between runners and crew was seamless, and they made good time over the next 20 miles. Team A tapped in to cover the section that went through Rancho Cucamonga and Travis took over for Adam V, coordinating runner swap-outs and assisting Remi and Hakim with navigation. Team A arrived at the end of their second shift near Coyote Canyon Park, still looking fresh — Lucie in high spirits, striking a pose. A significant chunk of this next leg would travel up Lytle Creek Rd, situated right at the border of the Angeles and San Bernadino National Forests. Both the temperature and elevation would rise steadily and intensely. As Alex, Brad, and Leigh beasted their way up the mountain, passersby—who were on their way to enjoying Lytle Creek—watched in disbelief and confusion as a seemingly solo runner with no hydration or nutrition ran up the treacherous road. Up ahead, they would turn off Lytle Creek Rd onto Sheep Canyon Rd, a very short section that led to an undisclosed road or trail. Again, since Remi and Adam V only had the opportunity to scout the LA section, every bit of distance traveled beyond that was unknown. They prayed that the sprinter would be able to drive on it, or else they might have to leave a runner by themself for an extended period of time as they drove around. Alex’s 3-minute interval led them to the trail, which ended up being super rocky and sketchy but ultimately drivable. Since the sprinter would trail behind, Adam V jumped out to pace Brad and assist with navigation. Brad’s downhill game was incredible — Adam V's watch told him he was running at well below a 6-minute clip but somehow Brad still managed to drop him. The sprinter was far behind, so Adam V had to yell at the top of his lungs for what turns Brad needed to make ahead. The section leading to linking with and swapping with Team A was a beautiful descent overlooking striations of sand and stone, with a train traveling in the midst. Leigh smiled as she bombed down it—it was suffering, with a view. Team A covered a mean service road and freeway-adjacent distance after. After several hours of swaps and rugged Powerline road, the team made it into Daggett and Yermo. An intense Memorial Day traffic jam accumulated on Yermo in Harvard, making it impossible to follow in either of the vehicles. Brad, no longer willing to sacrifice dead time, took off. Shortly after, Alex, Remi and Moe took off on mountain bikes, hoping to find him and help pace and navigate. This makeshift team ran solo for 2.5 hours—sans water or nutrition. Brad did the last 8 miles in deep sand by himself as the rest were forced to carry their bikes. When he made it to the rendezvous, he immediately vomited and collapsed. Adam V was at a loss of how to assemble the next group. He walked into the back of the bus where Thai was in the middle of some much deserved rest and woke him up as gently as he could. How do you ask someone to join on a 37 mile leg after they just knocked out? Nonetheless, Thai hopped back in to join Aric and Leigh for what would be the most nightmarish part of the journey. Adam V had taken the wheel to give Remi some respite. During one of Aric’s intervals, they hit a fork and made a slight wrong turn and the sprinter was buried in sand. They all spent 20 minutes trying to get the vehicle unstuck. Suddenly, Moe awoke from slumber and schooled them on how to get out. This road, as Travis put it, felt like a machine gun. They encountered a bit where the path was barely the width of the sprinter and one wrong maneuver would quite actually result in the car tumbling down a cliff. To reduce weight imbalance, everyone evacuated the car, held their breath, and watched Remi’s life flash before their eyes as he just barely drove it across. The vibe began to waiver, like a candle’s flame in harsh winds, and they began bickering amongst themselves in the heart of darkness. As the sun rose, however, so did spirits—Thai yelled defiantly, Leigh’s face brightened, and Aric floated over the earth. The universe tested them but they kept burning, refusing to be extinguished. Like waking up from a bad dream, the early morning light washed away (some of) the trauma of the six hours spent in nightmare territory. The night crew reached the rest of the team on Death Valley Rd right outside of Baker. The original plan here was for the next team to continue on more Powerline terrain through the Hollow Hills Wilderness Area but after what they just underwent, it was unanimously decided to alter plans. In what in hindsight was probably too much haste, the team decided to continue down 127 toward Shoshone. Having just had a solid six hours of rest, Brad, Lucie and Alex flew through the next leg. The Speed Project crew met up with them en route to Shoshone, and it was evident in their IG live updates that they were running fresh and aggressive. Meanwhile, the night crew were in Shoshone, having a nap and their first hot meal since leaving LA—diner food had never tasted so nourishing and wholesome. Once Brad, Lucie and Alex made it to Shoshone, Aric geared up and started toward the turn onto the 178. The heat was settling in and it was clear their next shift was going to be toasty. Despite this, Leigh, Thai and Aric attacked this section fresh and recovered from the night. The teams of runners at this point were permanently scrambled from the original set up, but the seamless harmony was never disrupted, like an isomer formation. About 3/4 of the way through the next leg, around the Nevada/California border where 178 turns into 372 near Pahrump, Leigh received a text saying they’d made a wrong turn. Confused, Remi and Hakim studied their maps. Earlier that morning, as the previous crew were making their way to Shoshone, they had contemplated bisecting the route via Old Spanish Trail Hwy through Tecopa. But perhaps colored by the previous night’s experience, they worried it was more off-road terrain and they decided against it. Still unsure what to make of the text message, they did the only thing they could do and continued toward Pahrump. Pahrump ended up being a McDonald’s pitstop and another reshuffling of runners. Being that much of the running during The Speed Project is on road shoulders, the slight slope over time forces an uneven gait. Alex — who had never run an ultra and was entering ultra mileage — ended up tweaking his knee from too much gait alteration and the team decided it was best that he not damage his body. However, this disrupted the back and forth between rested and fatigued runners. For the second time, just as Thai finished the last leg on the 372, Adam V asked him if he would step up to the plate and hold it down. By adding a fourth runner into the mix, the volume and stress could be minimized for each runner. Without any further coercion needed, Thai agreed with a “🥲” emoji—as long as he could eat first. Lucie took the lead out of Pahrump onto the 160 and they were off. The runners were switching out every 90 seconds now. As Lucie, Brad, Leigh and Thai charged down the highway, Remi and Hakim noticed they were coming up on where the 160 met with Tecopa Rd. This was the missed turn. Remi and Hakim studied the map and discovered that the logistical error had added 40 unnecessary miles to the runners’ journey. With no time to stop and process the grief from this, the team had no choice but to keep pushing forward. (Un)Surprisingly, the runners didn’t allow the bad news to crush their spirits. Refusing to sit out for the duration, Alex even jumped back in to run short and easy legs to add to the overall rest time for all the runners. With all runners on deck, intervals were fluid. The sun began to set as they descended toward Las Vegas around Mountain Springs. The city became visible in the distance and catalyzed a newfound stoke in the team. Every time a runner swapped in, the sprinter door slid open and blared their favorite songs, resulting in beautiful downhill dance-running and vocal support from the crew. As the finish became more palpable, the energy only increased. The end was near and everyone could feel it. “The Edge... There is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.” - Hunter S. Thompson The team ran the descent on the 160 to where it turned into Blue Diamond Rd and hit Las Vegas Blvd. From this intersection, it was only about 3 miles to the end—the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign. Everyone crammed into the sprinter. When the glow of the sign was in immediate view, everybody hopped out and ran in the last half mile together. At the sign, Nils and Scotty (The Speed Project race directors) awaited with bottles of champagne ready for the team to shake up and spray everywhere, like some strange and poignant metaphoric manifestation of the denouement of the wild and incomprehensible journey they had just undergone together. There were so many points during this event that felt like an exploration of thresholds—physically, psychically, spiritually. But this is how it goes with these major feats of endurance; a quest for “The Edge” and learning how to approach and manage that elusive space. And while each experience there is typically individual, in a group like this The Edge felt more like an action potential threshold, wherein each push into that territory resulted in another excitatory response in the next person—rather than fizzling out, like the spillage of champagne on concrete, dirt and grass. The team may have come in 10th place, but this has only set off another excitatory response. We’ll be coming back to explore more thresholds and take ourselves over The Edge. Words by Adam Voidoid Photography by Moe Lauchert

Cardio. It’s good for your heart and it burns fat. Whether you love it or hate it, you know you should be doing some but how much cardio do you really need?

Creating a collection perfect for trail runners of all levels.

This sports stock photo created by Jacob Lund is perfect for projects featuring athlete, body, and countryside.

The niche Canadian running brand by lifelong shoe industry veterans is now using one of the lightest and strongest materials ever made

Can you give us a short bio? My name is Ellis Newton, 24 years old, recent UC Berkeley grad. I am an athlete, music producer, aspiring model, and assistant teacher. I grew up just outside of Los Angeles and I have been living in the Bay Area for six years. I've been running since I was six. Why is California for runners? Being born and raised there, how has California shaped the runner you are today? If you are from California and you've competed in high school track and field/cross country, then you know how difficult it is to be considered good. Because it's such a populated state, Cali has a very competitive high school championship system under what is called CIF. From a young age we are trained pretty rigorously, trying to be the fastest athlete in your division, section, and eventually the state. Some of us continue running in college, as I competed at UC Berkeley for another four years. Where I'm going with this is that I was left with this persisting love to train once I finished as a competitive runner. I feel as though my journey isn't over yet. Living here in California gives me unlimited access to the region's vast park and trail systems, beaches, and ridiculously good weather. It's a runner's paradise. The cornerstone of the Satisfy ethos is The High, that feeling we chase during a long run wherein the repetitive movements of the body are operating so seamlessly that our physical awareness melts away and allows us to reach a higher state of consciousness—a kind of mechanical intoxication. What comes together for you during a run that allows you to achieve this state? Given your middle distance background at Berkeley, is this a state you think you've attained even during the 800m? Ah yes, it's the euphoria that keeps me coming back. Picture this: You're heavy, lungs heaving, legs clunky, but you are somehow weightless at the same time. The sound of your feet crunching on the dirt below, coupled with the rhythm of your breath creates a harmony... a hypnosis. Oftentimes without noticing, this happens and I reach a zen-like state. My mind becomes calm and goes on auto-pilot, and my body follows suit. Thoughts and worries become fleeting. It's a state of bliss. Reaching this state in the 800m is well.. hard... but it's possible. I love the 800 for its intensity and split-second-decision making. Nonetheless, I found that my best races occur when my mind stays quiet . Thinking burns too much energy in a race like that. I feel that staying calm in the heat of the race, and waiting for the right moment to strike is key in the 8. I feel like that calm I get in the 800 is a byproduct of the High I feel in my longer runs. I know you use an Akai MPC — the legendary old school music controller popularized by producers such as J Dilla and Madlib. Can you tell us about the very physical process of what making a beat on an MPC is like? Does The High play a role in your creative process for beatmaking? The MPC is such a great tool for hands-on beat making. Each of it's sixteen pads can be programmed with melodies, drums, whatever sound you want. Where the advantage lies for me is that I'm able to Feel what I am making. I collect vinyl records and find melodies to sample, chop, and rearrange. Once I have a nice melodic loop going, I'll go through the databank for the snappiest drums I can find. Feeling out the drum pattern is my personal favorite part of beatmaking. I like my loops hypnotic, undulating, but still hip-hop. Here is where I feel The High from running has influenced me - I very well may be recreating the rhythmic zen I find from running. In your room you have some of my favorite records of all time on your walls — *Donuts* by J Dilla and *Madvillainy* by Madvillain (MF DOOM & Madlib). What's your favorite Dilla beat? What's your favorite DOOM bar? Why? Favorite Dilla beat? ooooh that's a tough one. Off the top of my head:

For those venturing beyond the road’s unbroken white lines.

Girls Fun Run by Photographer Rafael Astorga. Portland based Commercial Photographer creating dynamic images for worldclass brands.

Arriving in a muted color palette to showcase the runner's personality.

The pandemic is getting everyone on edge. It seems like the news changes every day and it's harder to know what to do or how to stay safe. In the midst of this chaos, it's important to remember that we need to get on with living our lives. It means staying motivated and productive, even when the going gets tough. In this blog post, we'll cover some tips for staying motivated and productive during the pandemic.

Hey, it's Travis. Hey, How's it going, man? Good! You know, my girlfriend and I just went and bought a bunch of plants. We went to the hardware store here and bought a bunch of plants, had to take ‘em back on the bus because we don't have a car, so it was kind of funny. Thanks for being cool and letting me push this back an hour. What are you up to? Right on. I’m currently fulfilling orders for this release we had last weekend. So I’m trying to fulfill a bunch of things before I head out of town tomorrow. That's cool. Yeah, I wanna get into all that. But first, can you introduce yourself? Yeah. My name's Tayler. I’m 26 years old, and I'm based in Carrollton, Georgia. What's Carrollton like? You know, deep South. It's cool, it's my hometown, but in general it's definitely an interesting environment to be working in. Where do you usually go running? Here in Carrollton, Ga we have a beautiful trail called the Greenbelt. I run there, or around the city. Imagine a small southern town with a lot of soul. Throw in a mixture of an up and coming downtown scene surrounded by postcard style country roads and overwhelming woods. And back in Savannah I would run the Talmadge bridge that connect Ga to South Carolina and run through downtown. Savannah is a coastal city combined with a Southern yet progressive energy. I’ve been all over the world, but Savannah has the best sunsets/sunrises. Especially for AM/PM runs. What was your introduction to running? Honestly, sobriety. I got sober about three years ago, I was coming out of a really big depressive state. I grew up playing tennis, but I wanted to get away from that. So I started running a lot, and got even heavier into it when I got back to Savannah where I’m doing a lot of bridge runs…. you know, seven milers. I’ve been getting after it. I just needed something that was meditative and running is that for me, meditative and calming and I’m able to kind of just black out… you're forced to be super present with yourself. What do you usually think about when you're out there running? I think about myself. Not in a narcissistic way, but in a self improvement way. Maybe I’ll think about designs or a direction I wanna move in. If I'm struggling with something, I’ll go on a run. But also I try to just run and stay in tune with running. I feel like if my mind is racing and I’m also running, I’m exhausting myself and not fully present. So I try to think about stuff, but also be super present in the action, and be thankful, man. Truthfully, if anyone has the luxury or the ability to have a healthy heart, two legs and not be disabled or unable to like exercise - that's a blessing, man. To be able to go on a run today… some people can't even walk, and I think about that a lot. I'm able to maintain a level of physical health which allows me to do this, so I try to be incredibly grateful for my well being. What did you learn this year about life that you didn't know last year? I learned that things do get better and there's always a flow to things. I think it's so important, man. It's, uh I thought about it a lot last year, but, like, as I've gotten older, the stress of life of trying to figure out how to make things work never really goes away. But if you're able to learn from each past month or each past year and apply those lessons to the future, then while things don't get easier, your threshold to deal with those things get stronger. What does activism mean to you? It’s a daily stride towards righting the wrongs and speaking up for people who don't have a voice. It's taking a point of view and taking a stance on something. I really pride myself because that’s the kind of work that I do in a sense. I'm not afraid to put my foot down. Here's where I stand. It’s easy for one to do that when you’re around the same five people and in a vacuum. But it's a lot harder to do on the social media platforms in front of people who don't know you. I think activism is taking your stance and something that I really hold close to my heart. How does art resonate as a tool for activism for you? Art has always been a voice for the people. It’s the closest man made element of humanity. It’s the epitome of community and rising above so I’ve found that art is my vessel for my messages. Art is the fast lane on a highway, so often times that’s why it’s very uncomfortable to others. It’s the driving force of culture. The voices of creatives all around the world drastically shape the direction of the world. What causes do you support? And how can people get involved or help in any way? Black Lives Matter for sure. That's a behemoth massive thing, But there's an organization in Savannah I’m super passionate about it's called Deep Center, and it helps under privileged at risk, low income families. The organization provides a writing center for kids with traumatic experiences in underserved communities, and it allows them to deal with some of the traumas and whatnot through creative and expressive ways instead of resorting to the streets. You mentioned earlier that because you were an advocate for children in foster care... could you elaborate on that and what that work means to you? Totally. I was adopted at birth by two white people. Being black and living in a different world other than how a lot of black kids with similar situations grew up was and is VERY interesting. It’s also the source for my biggest insecurities and my often over focus on independence. I explain my situation as this...silver spoon but it rusted over time. Certain privileges are still existent and certain ones are not. Given my situation, alongside with 8 different schools/colleges since 8th grade, I’ve seen almost every spectrum of wealth, family dynamics, etc. I ask myself “how could I create something that allowed the kids who weren’t as lucky as I was to experience what I experienced?” One of my biggest dreams is to create a fully funded k-12 school where students just have to show up and learn. Come hungry for knowledge and food and we will send you home with both. I’m a firm believer in that redesigning the education system is the solution to the greatest problems we face as a human race. That’s something I hope to fully tackle. Right now, I use my platform to create and educate. At the end of the day, I’m blessed and I’m looking for ways to give back and pay it forward. Are you a fan of punk rock or it’s ideals? 100%. My first official tattoo was a Black Flag tattoo. I got into both punk and metal at the same time, and just loved the unrefined DIY approach. What attracted you to it? It just is what it is. You either like it, or you don't like it. I also tried hardcore veganism, and now I’m plant based. But I learned a lot of that from punk rock ideals. Seeing as how you have a Black Flag Tattoo... who is your favorite black flag singer? Henry! I knew that was gonna come up. I'm more of a Keith Morris guy myself, but Henry's got the best running shorts for sure. Haha! The shorts. Yes. Best shorts and Henry’s also the best speaker and writer, super charming. I was rocking the shades and military shirts, and I got the snake tattoo and the Black Flag tattoo solely because of him. I even wanted to get a reaper on my arm, just like Henry. Damaged is a great album, and I have it on vinyl. So, you do a lot of things in the world of art; clothing, stickers, tattoos, murals… Which medium is your favorite? Out of all of them... Good question. Probably writing, and then painting stuff I love. Anything to do with text. I think naturally I’m a communicator, so writing is always gonna be something very near and dear, close to my heart. Painting wise, I’m definitely self taught. I paint a good bit, but I'm more inclined to get an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper and go to town on that than I am to paint on a canvas. I saw a post you made a few days ago [on Instagram], where you said it'd been about a year or so since you’d quit your job and made the leap into art. Tell me about what that transition was like… I’d been selling work consistently since I started and I didn't really look at it as a business until towards the end of my undergraduate in 2019, and I couldn't really find a job. I had this distinct style, but I didn’t know how to turn it into a business yet, and I was confused. I applied and started working at a local coffee roaster called Perk. It was great, and I actually enjoyed it, but I just remember feeling exhausted by the end of the day. And having to wake up again the next day and do it all over...I was thinking, man, this sucks. I hate this, it isn't fun. I was feeling kinda shitty, to be honest. But then I sold a painting for three grand and started thinking like “Dang, even if I work four to five days a week at this place, it’ll take me three months compared to what I just made in one weekend on my own stuff…” It just didn’t make sense. And then I had the realization that if I have these dreams, if I wanna go for this thing - if I really wanna give it, like, the slightest chance - I have to go 100% into it. No Plan B, no back up. Because if I give myself an out, I'm gonna take it. So I literally quit on my 90 day review. That's awesome. Was it scary though, initially? Yeah man, like super scary. There were many stressful nights. Me just sitting there. Cuz like, when you really go into being self employed in art, specifically visual art, there’s like, no blueprint. With freelancing stuff, there's a blueprint, and you can kind of somewhat follow it. But besides the one person in Savannah who I talk to regularly, I know pretty much no one around my age that is able to work full time on art. And my parents didn't necessarily have the answers because my mom’s a dentist, my dad's an accountant. But I just had to figure it out. It's scary, though man, you're spending money on groceries and there's no guarantee that you're gonna get that back. So it's I mean, it's still scary. Has it gotten easier? No, not really. But I get to wake up and figure out which parts of myself and my ideas I want to sell today. And that's a very good blessing and stress to have. But it's a trade off, man….. I’ll say this, it's not for most people. And I think you really have to be a little bit in a non state of reality to kind of justify doing something like this. You said that you’re pushing prints to eat… could you explain the modern hustle of being an artist that sells their work on social media and what that entails? Yeah. I mean, you're living in the DM’s, that's for sure. Like you're constantly DM’ing people and everyday that’s a hustle on its own in context to figuring out like pricing and maybe talking with local business owners about getting your work in there, but also like, staging and finding out what kind of stuff people interact with and then figuring out how to put that in the product and then figuring out what price point to put that at. Constantly situations like that. I'm always kind of looking for opportunities, you know, not opportunities that are just solely cash grabs, but something that seems pretty on brand. Where I could make some money, get some new exposure, but also help me get better at my work now and give me a chance to practice. Its kinda hard I think because a lot of artists traditionally don't like to self advertise. The brands that I really, really gravitate towards are not actually other artists. It's more brands like Supreme… How could I also not just be a brand? I’ve had my personal Instagram account since I was 15. How can I manage pushing a brand and putting out my personal thoughts? How do I personalize and DM companies as myself but also as my brand? Honestly, I've created a lot of opportunities solely by just DM’ing people, and that's really the way. You're kind of forced to be fearless in a way. Well, it's almost like, How do you wanna spend your time? How do you break up your time between spending time promoting art and making it? I'm always kind of in a promotional headspace. I spent a lot of time creating too but it's such a hard balance. Full transparency dude, I spend all my time on this phone. This is all I do. Even if I'm with people, I'm using it as a source of inspiration. Like, how can I take something from this moment and use it in my work? The concept of time is interesting when you’re an artist because you’re always trying to find new ways to be inspired. And then you have to figure out a way to promote that. Plus I do a lot of research. You know? Like I don’t do what Supreme does, but I can adopt the drop and release business model, and that's been super successful for me. By offering things at a smaller price point, like my art on a water bottle, you know. A product that people can look at and actually use in their daily life. Are you ever surprised by which pieces people respond to, or which ones are more popular than others? I’ve written down lists of things recently, and those have been super popular. One list was: things I wish I would have known between 20 and 25. That post took off. There was about 1000 re-shares. That was wild. But I'm not too surprised by what really works and what doesn't. I don't have an issue of putting out a shirt that I know has a really good chance of selling because it's still my work. So it’s not like I'm catering to the audience. When you make the transition from being an artist and running it as a business, I personally think it becomes 50% what you want and 50% what the market responds to. It’s the modern way and this shit evolves every day - the tools we use evolve, the audience is evolving and everything in general is speeding up, you know? I think about that all the time. The modern consumer is now like, 100 times smarter than any consumer out of any past generations, you know? People are voting with their dollars and voting with their likes. In a way you're kind of paying for real estate kind of someone's mind, and it's not necessarily in a competition kind of way, because I don't think I'm competing with other artists. I’m trying to get my products out there and have creative freedom, but also make something that is gonna sell, because the reality is the likes and shares don't pay anything. And you have to constantly be innovating. And most people don't like hearing that, especially artists. What advice would you give to people who are looking to pressure a career in the world of art? Hmm. Learn the basics of finances/accounting. That will save you during the moments of slowness from selling work and in the business of selling work. Be open to pivoting on an idea or approach. Embrace the lack of security in this industry and be present in every moment. Some of your success might be fiscal, spiritual, new relationships, losses, going broke, etc. That’s all apart of the process of this while art thing. Oh and be 400% honest with yourself as to why you’re choosing this path. The easiest part of being a full time artist is waking up and everything else is super hard. There are going to be plenty of moments when you feel like quitting, so you have to remember why you’re doing it. There’s nothing wrong with selling out or only making 1/1 of designs or just wanting to make pretty pictures, but you have to be honest with yourself as to the why behind it. Is it ever hard, or scary even, for you to release certain art or just ideas into the world? Yeah, totally. 100%. Especially when you start to get like, physical success, like getting more followers and getting bigger brand situations. You worry about losing followers. Then there's a lot of people who have never personally met me but followed me for four to six plus years and they really know about me. They've seen the girls I've dated, they know what my parents look like, what my house looks like. And I’ve been able to really build a super strong committed following because they feel invested in what I do. But it's also hard because, like, I’m an extrovert, but this has made me an introvert. It’s made me reclusive a bit. Sometimes I’m like, damn is this some wild stuff my girlfriend is gonna give me a phone call about? I’m not trying to get cancelled or anything like that. But I definitely didn't think about certain things. Both sides of the political party follow me, and I don’t cater to either one. But I do think about stuff that I put out, like, 100%. How do you define success? What’s that look like for you? I just wanna be happy, physically and mentally healthy, and I don't wanna I don't wanna stress about money. Those three things...like I'm cool. I just want to be able to take care of myself and the people I love. I want freedom without the stress of being like Oh my God, this isn't gonna work out. I just wanna continue what I'm doing. What's what's the best advice someone has given you? When much is given, much is expected, and you're the average of the five people you spend your time with. My dad told me that, and it holds true to this day. Do you have any last words? I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for taking the time. Tayler on Instagram RUN! PUNK RUN! DROP

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Las Vegas born Anthony Scalamere — better known by his professional moniker, Ragdoll — came up in the ranks of professional skateboarding in the early 2000’s and earned himself a reputation as a truly innovative, unpredictable and fearless stuntman. If you’ve ever seen any of his video parts you know about him throwing himself off huge shit with utter disregard for his own body, as well as pulling from a unique and eclectic bag of tricks. Ragdoll is a complete authentic original, a legit outsider artist who does everything in his own way / style with a zen-like confidence. He’s also just a straight up survivor of life, one of the most positive people I know and he seems to have an appreciation for everything skateboarding has given him, good and bad. Plus he looks like he should be in a rock band. A rockstar without a band, if you will. And like any good rocker, my man definitely lived hard, fast and true in every way possible. This is all super relatable to me, and why I wanted to talk to him for this very first issue of Possessed Magazine about still being alive in 2021, skateboarding, music, growing up, living better and coming out the other side a runner.Don’t call it a fucking comeback, cuz my dude never left... Who are you? Anthony Daniel Scalamere the III, AKA Ragdoll. Where did you grow up? I was born in Las Vegas, raised in the streets of Las Vegas and then moved to Los Angeles. And where do you live now? Now I live in Tucson, Arizona. What was growing up in Las Vegas like? I hate Vegas. I have nothing good to say about Vegas. But my honest answer is that it was a good place to be when I was young. But as I got older the veil get lifted and it revealed what Vegas really was to me. Some of my family had gambling problems, then drinking problems and drugs. And it just all escalated, that's what Vegas is. But as a kid, like growing up, all I did was play soccer with my friends. Normal kid shit. There was a water park called Wet N’ Wild and my dad would give me a season pass every year, and I would go there. That's where I spent my summer times before I started skating. And yeah, it was pretty normal as a kid. But as I got older, I realized what Vegas was. It's a terrible, terrible, terrible city. Everyone goes there with the mindset of they're gonna make it. And when they get the harsh realization that they're not gonna get rich off gambling they get really pissed off about it and they walk around Vegas miserable. There’s just a lot of miserable people out there. Was there a skate scene there? Oh, yeah…. skate and music. I was a hardcore kid, straight edge and vegetarian. I didn't start drinking until I was, like, fucking twenty years old. My homey was in a band called Curl Up and Die and they were the best hardcore band in Vegas. They were my dudes. Strife would come out there, we’d go to all the hardcore concerts. Saw Gorilla Biscuits when they came through, all that shit. When I refelect on all that now I’m like “Man, we had a fucking crazy underground scene!” And it wasn't like concerts, these bands were playing in record shops and shit. So it'd be 200 kids crammed in there seeing their favorite band, just going nuts. As a kid who did you look up to? I loved Mike Tyson when I was growing up. Just watching his fights with my dad, that was my introduction to boxing. Mike Tyson was the shit. All his pay per view fights were insane, it was such an event to watch that guy fucking do his shit. Mike Tyson was definitely my first hero. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Did you have something you were set on? Garbageman, haha. For real? Yeah, haha. That was the first thing I ever wanted to be. I think my stepmom asked me back in the day, and I was like, I wanna be a garbageman. I think it’s because they used to ride on the back of the trucks. Do you remember that? Yeah for sure, on the sides. Yeah, and it just looked dope to me! And picking up all that shit... so cool. Like that movie Men at Work, you prolly saw that shit as a kid huh? Yeah, with Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez! But yeah, that was like the first thing I wanted to be. But then I wanted a professional soccer player. Oh cool, so soccer was your love before skateboarding? Were you good? Yeah, I was fucking really good. I guess it’s all feet-work, right? So then how did you get into skateboarding? What made you focus on that? Yeah and my sister was always into really cool shit, music and skateboarding. She always dated skaters and was around that scene. All my sisters were like moms to me because I was the baby of the family. So I'd like to be raised by different sisters at different times in my life. My sister Angel was always into Jane's Addiction and Minor Threat and Black Flag. And like, all the cool fucking music and there was always a dude in her crew that had a skateboard. I think she only got a board to try and hook up with other skater dudes. So I started toying around on hers eventually and from there you know how it goes. It just overtakes you. You pick it up once and it just stays with you. I just fell in love with it and it stayed with me from that point on. Have you ever been in a fight? Yes. I've never provoked a fight, but I've been on the receiving end of someone wanting to fight. What did you learn from the fights you’ve been in? Just always be on the receiving end, never be the asshole that is encouraging it and make sure you throw the first punch. Always throw the first punch if they get in your area. If they get within punching distance, they’ve already started to fight. Every time I get in a fight and I win, I still feel like a loser. That's what I've taken away from it. Like even if someone is threatening me, we get in a fight and I ended up whippin his ass, I'm gonna feel bad for him. Like, fuck dude, thanks for making me feel that way, You know what I mean? So it's just pointless, but if it's necessary then it's necessary. You ever been to jail? Yep. What did you learn from that? I've been there twice, once was for some bullshit that I don't even remember what it was. I think I missed my court date and I was there for two days in the holding cell or whatever. And then the second time was for some dumb shit. I did some fucking Icarus Line shit and stole a guitar out of the Hard Rock. Did you really? Yeah. Long story short. We were partying at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas and got blackout drunk. I can't remember how, but we ended up in the concert hall. We jumped over the bar, and we were trying to get drinks and shit. And there was a fucking a glass case with the guitar on the wall, no one in the venue and I just smashed the case and darted out. I was out there filming for the Pig Wood video and we're staying at my friend's parents house. They had to have, like, a tracking device or something on the guitar because I got woken up by the fucking FBI. Just so many investigators and detectives and shit, Asking me where this guitar was and I was blacked out. I'm like, “What the fuck are you talking about?” So they're like, “Alright, well, you gotta come outside for questioning,

The key to staying healthy is in how much you exercise, regardless of your weight. Here's what else you need to know.

NORDA RUN THE 001 RZ M HERREN [AZURE] Der Norda Run The 001 ist ein technisch ausgereifter Laufschuh, der für anspruchsvolle Trails gemacht wurde. Das nahtlose Obermaterial wurde aus Dyneema® hergestellt, einem biobasierten Material, welches besonders stark und widerstandsfähig ist. Nahtlose Overlays und recycelte Cordura® Nylonfasern erhöhen die Robustheit des Norda 001 noch zusätzlich. Die Vibram® SLE Zwischensohle bietet dir eine optimale Dämpfung und ist trotzdem besonders leicht. Auch die TPU-Innensohle verspricht eine hohe Energierückgabe und das Norda Lock System arbeitet wie eine Socke, um den Fuß zu stabilisieren und besten Halt im Schuh zu ermöglichen. Die Vibram Litebase® Technologie der Außensohle spart Gewicht und der Mega Grip® Gummi liefert beste Traktion auf trockenen und nassen Untergründen. Die Norda 001 RZ ist eine exklusive Norda™ x Ray Zahab Kollaboration. Durch den Verkauf dieser Schuhe unterstützt Norda das Projekt impossible2Possible mit einer Spende von 5% des Umsatzes dieses Modells. Die Mission von impossible2Possible ist es, jeden zu ermutigen, über seine wahrgenommenen Grenzen hinauszugehen. Die Schuhe fallen klein aus. Bitte eine halbe Nummer größer bestellen. Obermaterial Textil, Synthetik Innenfutter Textil, Synthetik Sohle Synthetik nahtloses Dyneema® Obermaterial aus biobasierten Materialien recyceltes Cordura® Nylon Vibram® SLE Zwischensohlendämpfung Norda Lock System für optimalen Halt im Schuh TPU-Innensohle für beste Energierückgabe Vibram Megagrip® Außensohle mit Litebase® 5mm Stollen reflektierende Details Sprengung 5mm Gewicht Einzelschuh 304g bei Größe 42 2/3 MPN:1017

Robin Arzon is an athlete's athlete. She lives to push herself and to complete challenges that most can barely even fathom, like the time she ran five

An endurance race held in Glen Coe for the first time this year is added to a world mountain running series.

Hey, it's Travis. Hey, How's it going, man? Good! You know, my girlfriend and I just went and bought a bunch of plants. We went to the hardware store here and bought a bunch of plants, had to take ‘em back on the bus because we don't have a car, so it was kind of funny. Thanks for being cool and letting me push this back an hour. What are you up to? Right on. I’m currently fulfilling orders for this release we had last weekend. So I’m trying to fulfill a bunch of things before I head out of town tomorrow. That's cool. Yeah, I wanna get into all that. But first, can you introduce yourself? Yeah. My name's Tayler. I’m 26 years old, and I'm based in Carrollton, Georgia. What's Carrollton like? You know, deep South. It's cool, it's my hometown, but in general it's definitely an interesting environment to be working in. Where do you usually go running? Here in Carrollton, Ga we have a beautiful trail called the Greenbelt. I run there, or around the city. Imagine a small southern town with a lot of soul. Throw in a mixture of an up and coming downtown scene surrounded by postcard style country roads and overwhelming woods. And back in Savannah I would run the Talmadge bridge that connect Ga to South Carolina and run through downtown. Savannah is a coastal city combined with a Southern yet progressive energy. I’ve been all over the world, but Savannah has the best sunsets/sunrises. Especially for AM/PM runs. What was your introduction to running? Honestly, sobriety. I got sober about three years ago, I was coming out of a really big depressive state. I grew up playing tennis, but I wanted to get away from that. So I started running a lot, and got even heavier into it when I got back to Savannah where I’m doing a lot of bridge runs…. you know, seven milers. I’ve been getting after it. I just needed something that was meditative and running is that for me, meditative and calming and I’m able to kind of just black out… you're forced to be super present with yourself. What do you usually think about when you're out there running? I think about myself. Not in a narcissistic way, but in a self improvement way. Maybe I’ll think about designs or a direction I wanna move in. If I'm struggling with something, I’ll go on a run. But also I try to just run and stay in tune with running. I feel like if my mind is racing and I’m also running, I’m exhausting myself and not fully present. So I try to think about stuff, but also be super present in the action, and be thankful, man. Truthfully, if anyone has the luxury or the ability to have a healthy heart, two legs and not be disabled or unable to like exercise - that's a blessing, man. To be able to go on a run today… some people can't even walk, and I think about that a lot. I'm able to maintain a level of physical health which allows me to do this, so I try to be incredibly grateful for my well being. What did you learn this year about life that you didn't know last year? I learned that things do get better and there's always a flow to things. I think it's so important, man. It's, uh I thought about it a lot last year, but, like, as I've gotten older, the stress of life of trying to figure out how to make things work never really goes away. But if you're able to learn from each past month or each past year and apply those lessons to the future, then while things don't get easier, your threshold to deal with those things get stronger. What does activism mean to you? It’s a daily stride towards righting the wrongs and speaking up for people who don't have a voice. It's taking a point of view and taking a stance on something. I really pride myself because that’s the kind of work that I do in a sense. I'm not afraid to put my foot down. Here's where I stand. It’s easy for one to do that when you’re around the same five people and in a vacuum. But it's a lot harder to do on the social media platforms in front of people who don't know you. I think activism is taking your stance and something that I really hold close to my heart. How does art resonate as a tool for activism for you? Art has always been a voice for the people. It’s the closest man made element of humanity. It’s the epitome of community and rising above so I’ve found that art is my vessel for my messages. Art is the fast lane on a highway, so often times that’s why it’s very uncomfortable to others. It’s the driving force of culture. The voices of creatives all around the world drastically shape the direction of the world. What causes do you support? And how can people get involved or help in any way? Black Lives Matter for sure. That's a behemoth massive thing, But there's an organization in Savannah I’m super passionate about it's called Deep Center, and it helps under privileged at risk, low income families. The organization provides a writing center for kids with traumatic experiences in underserved communities, and it allows them to deal with some of the traumas and whatnot through creative and expressive ways instead of resorting to the streets. You mentioned earlier that because you were an advocate for children in foster care... could you elaborate on that and what that work means to you? Totally. I was adopted at birth by two white people. Being black and living in a different world other than how a lot of black kids with similar situations grew up was and is VERY interesting. It’s also the source for my biggest insecurities and my often over focus on independence. I explain my situation as this...silver spoon but it rusted over time. Certain privileges are still existent and certain ones are not. Given my situation, alongside with 8 different schools/colleges since 8th grade, I’ve seen almost every spectrum of wealth, family dynamics, etc. I ask myself “how could I create something that allowed the kids who weren’t as lucky as I was to experience what I experienced?” One of my biggest dreams is to create a fully funded k-12 school where students just have to show up and learn. Come hungry for knowledge and food and we will send you home with both. I’m a firm believer in that redesigning the education system is the solution to the greatest problems we face as a human race. That’s something I hope to fully tackle. Right now, I use my platform to create and educate. At the end of the day, I’m blessed and I’m looking for ways to give back and pay it forward. Are you a fan of punk rock or it’s ideals? 100%. My first official tattoo was a Black Flag tattoo. I got into both punk and metal at the same time, and just loved the unrefined DIY approach. What attracted you to it? It just is what it is. You either like it, or you don't like it. I also tried hardcore veganism, and now I’m plant based. But I learned a lot of that from punk rock ideals. Seeing as how you have a Black Flag Tattoo... who is your favorite black flag singer? Henry! I knew that was gonna come up. I'm more of a Keith Morris guy myself, but Henry's got the best running shorts for sure. Haha! The shorts. Yes. Best shorts and Henry’s also the best speaker and writer, super charming. I was rocking the shades and military shirts, and I got the snake tattoo and the Black Flag tattoo solely because of him. I even wanted to get a reaper on my arm, just like Henry. Damaged is a great album, and I have it on vinyl. So, you do a lot of things in the world of art; clothing, stickers, tattoos, murals… Which medium is your favorite? Out of all of them... Good question. Probably writing, and then painting stuff I love. Anything to do with text. I think naturally I’m a communicator, so writing is always gonna be something very near and dear, close to my heart. Painting wise, I’m definitely self taught. I paint a good bit, but I'm more inclined to get an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper and go to town on that than I am to paint on a canvas. I saw a post you made a few days ago [on Instagram], where you said it'd been about a year or so since you’d quit your job and made the leap into art. Tell me about what that transition was like… I’d been selling work consistently since I started and I didn't really look at it as a business until towards the end of my undergraduate in 2019, and I couldn't really find a job. I had this distinct style, but I didn’t know how to turn it into a business yet, and I was confused. I applied and started working at a local coffee roaster called Perk. It was great, and I actually enjoyed it, but I just remember feeling exhausted by the end of the day. And having to wake up again the next day and do it all over...I was thinking, man, this sucks. I hate this, it isn't fun. I was feeling kinda shitty, to be honest. But then I sold a painting for three grand and started thinking like “Dang, even if I work four to five days a week at this place, it’ll take me three months compared to what I just made in one weekend on my own stuff…” It just didn’t make sense. And then I had the realization that if I have these dreams, if I wanna go for this thing - if I really wanna give it, like, the slightest chance - I have to go 100% into it. No Plan B, no back up. Because if I give myself an out, I'm gonna take it. So I literally quit on my 90 day review. That's awesome. Was it scary though, initially? Yeah man, like super scary. There were many stressful nights. Me just sitting there. Cuz like, when you really go into being self employed in art, specifically visual art, there’s like, no blueprint. With freelancing stuff, there's a blueprint, and you can kind of somewhat follow it. But besides the one person in Savannah who I talk to regularly, I know pretty much no one around my age that is able to work full time on art. And my parents didn't necessarily have the answers because my mom’s a dentist, my dad's an accountant. But I just had to figure it out. It's scary, though man, you're spending money on groceries and there's no guarantee that you're gonna get that back. So it's I mean, it's still scary. Has it gotten easier? No, not really. But I get to wake up and figure out which parts of myself and my ideas I want to sell today. And that's a very good blessing and stress to have. But it's a trade off, man….. I’ll say this, it's not for most people. And I think you really have to be a little bit in a non state of reality to kind of justify doing something like this. You said that you’re pushing prints to eat… could you explain the modern hustle of being an artist that sells their work on social media and what that entails? Yeah. I mean, you're living in the DM’s, that's for sure. Like you're constantly DM’ing people and everyday that’s a hustle on its own in context to figuring out like pricing and maybe talking with local business owners about getting your work in there, but also like, staging and finding out what kind of stuff people interact with and then figuring out how to put that in the product and then figuring out what price point to put that at. Constantly situations like that. I'm always kind of looking for opportunities, you know, not opportunities that are just solely cash grabs, but something that seems pretty on brand. Where I could make some money, get some new exposure, but also help me get better at my work now and give me a chance to practice. Its kinda hard I think because a lot of artists traditionally don't like to self advertise. The brands that I really, really gravitate towards are not actually other artists. It's more brands like Supreme… How could I also not just be a brand? I’ve had my personal Instagram account since I was 15. How can I manage pushing a brand and putting out my personal thoughts? How do I personalize and DM companies as myself but also as my brand? Honestly, I've created a lot of opportunities solely by just DM’ing people, and that's really the way. You're kind of forced to be fearless in a way. Well, it's almost like, How do you wanna spend your time? How do you break up your time between spending time promoting art and making it? I'm always kind of in a promotional headspace. I spent a lot of time creating too but it's such a hard balance. Full transparency dude, I spend all my time on this phone. This is all I do. Even if I'm with people, I'm using it as a source of inspiration. Like, how can I take something from this moment and use it in my work? The concept of time is interesting when you’re an artist because you’re always trying to find new ways to be inspired. And then you have to figure out a way to promote that. Plus I do a lot of research. You know? Like I don’t do what Supreme does, but I can adopt the drop and release business model, and that's been super successful for me. By offering things at a smaller price point, like my art on a water bottle, you know. A product that people can look at and actually use in their daily life. Are you ever surprised by which pieces people respond to, or which ones are more popular than others? I’ve written down lists of things recently, and those have been super popular. One list was: things I wish I would have known between 20 and 25. That post took off. There was about 1000 re-shares. That was wild. But I'm not too surprised by what really works and what doesn't. I don't have an issue of putting out a shirt that I know has a really good chance of selling because it's still my work. So it’s not like I'm catering to the audience. When you make the transition from being an artist and running it as a business, I personally think it becomes 50% what you want and 50% what the market responds to. It’s the modern way and this shit evolves every day - the tools we use evolve, the audience is evolving and everything in general is speeding up, you know? I think about that all the time. The modern consumer is now like, 100 times smarter than any consumer out of any past generations, you know? People are voting with their dollars and voting with their likes. In a way you're kind of paying for real estate kind of someone's mind, and it's not necessarily in a competition kind of way, because I don't think I'm competing with other artists. I’m trying to get my products out there and have creative freedom, but also make something that is gonna sell, because the reality is the likes and shares don't pay anything. And you have to constantly be innovating. And most people don't like hearing that, especially artists. What advice would you give to people who are looking to pressure a career in the world of art? Hmm. Learn the basics of finances/accounting. That will save you during the moments of slowness from selling work and in the business of selling work. Be open to pivoting on an idea or approach. Embrace the lack of security in this industry and be present in every moment. Some of your success might be fiscal, spiritual, new relationships, losses, going broke, etc. That’s all apart of the process of this while art thing. Oh and be 400% honest with yourself as to why you’re choosing this path. The easiest part of being a full time artist is waking up and everything else is super hard. There are going to be plenty of moments when you feel like quitting, so you have to remember why you’re doing it. There’s nothing wrong with selling out or only making 1/1 of designs or just wanting to make pretty pictures, but you have to be honest with yourself as to the why behind it. Is it ever hard, or scary even, for you to release certain art or just ideas into the world? Yeah, totally. 100%. Especially when you start to get like, physical success, like getting more followers and getting bigger brand situations. You worry about losing followers. Then there's a lot of people who have never personally met me but followed me for four to six plus years and they really know about me. They've seen the girls I've dated, they know what my parents look like, what my house looks like. And I’ve been able to really build a super strong committed following because they feel invested in what I do. But it's also hard because, like, I’m an extrovert, but this has made me an introvert. It’s made me reclusive a bit. Sometimes I’m like, damn is this some wild stuff my girlfriend is gonna give me a phone call about? I’m not trying to get cancelled or anything like that. But I definitely didn't think about certain things. Both sides of the political party follow me, and I don’t cater to either one. But I do think about stuff that I put out, like, 100%. How do you define success? What’s that look like for you? I just wanna be happy, physically and mentally healthy, and I don't wanna I don't wanna stress about money. Those three things...like I'm cool. I just want to be able to take care of myself and the people I love. I want freedom without the stress of being like Oh my God, this isn't gonna work out. I just wanna continue what I'm doing. What's what's the best advice someone has given you? When much is given, much is expected, and you're the average of the five people you spend your time with. My dad told me that, and it holds true to this day. Do you have any last words? I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for taking the time. Tayler on Instagram RUN! PUNK RUN! DROP

Introduce yourself, please? My name is Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel, I am a citizen of the Kul Wicasa Oyate, the Lower Brule Indian Reservation, and I am Kul Wicasa Lakota and Diné, which is also known as Navajo. And you live in Los Angeles, correct? Yep. I currently live and reside on occupied Tongva land, which is also known as Los Angeles. What part of LA do you reside in? I live in the Beachwood Canyon area near the Hollywood sign. Nice, I used to live up there. I like it up there. Even though you’re so close to everything, you can still feel like you're in a little bit of nature and separated the whole city. Yeah, definitely. It makes you feel a little bit disconnected from LA, which is really nice. Could you explain some of the main principles the Lakota people live by and how that informs your outlook on life and how you approach everything? Yes, our culture, our traditions and our heritage are the center of who we are, and our values that we choose to live our life by. Several of these values have incredible purpose and meaning, and it's how you identify to those three - how you’ll build your life, into who you are and what kind of relative you are to your community and the world around you. For me, that comes down to honor, compassion and wisdom, and being able to learn from my community. Being able to support them and give back to them as much as I can. Through that, I'm able to organize, help fundraise and help lead initiatives and virtual events to be able to give back with the programs that I'm managing through the organization that I founded called Rising Hearts. A couple of our programs are the Mitakuye Oyasin -

Introduce yourself, please? My name is Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel, I am a citizen of the Kul Wicasa Oyate, the Lower Brule Indian Reservation, and I am Kul Wicasa Lakota and Diné, which is also known as Navajo. And you live in Los Angeles, correct? Yep. I currently live and reside on occupied Tongva land, which is also known as Los Angeles. What part of LA do you reside in? I live in the Beachwood Canyon area near the Hollywood sign. Nice, I used to live up there. I like it up there. Even though you’re so close to everything, you can still feel like you're in a little bit of nature and separated the whole city. Yeah, definitely. It makes you feel a little bit disconnected from LA, which is really nice. Could you explain some of the main principles the Lakota people live by and how that informs your outlook on life and how you approach everything? Yes, our culture, our traditions and our heritage are the center of who we are, and our values that we choose to live our life by. Several of these values have incredible purpose and meaning, and it's how you identify to those three - how you’ll build your life, into who you are and what kind of relative you are to your community and the world around you. For me, that comes down to honor, compassion and wisdom, and being able to learn from my community. Being able to support them and give back to them as much as I can. Through that, I'm able to organize, help fundraise and help lead initiatives and virtual events to be able to give back with the programs that I'm managing through the organization that I founded called Rising Hearts. A couple of our programs are the Mitakuye Oyasin -

Jeremy's story of training our dog from stumbling puppy to long distance running buddy gives insight into how you can train your four-legged friend to run with you.

Can you give us a short bio? Born and raised close to nature in a small town called Vilhelmina in Lappland in Northen Sweden. 29-years old. Worked as a cement mason. Got tired. Moved to Stockholm and started to work in fashion. Started as a Fashion Assistant at a Swedish womenswear magazine, then as a Fashion Editor at a Swedish menswear magazine. Continued as a freelance stylist. In 2016, I transitioned into working in marketing at a Swedish fashion brand and did that until May of this year. How was it that you transitioned from a background of competitive skiing into long distance running? It was never an active choice to change from one to the other. I was competing in Alpine skiing until I was 16, but I always had more fun doing backcountry or shredding in the park. When I was 18, I had the realization that in hitting big jumps—soaring 3 meters above the ground—every kilo would generate a lot of force before I hit the ground, especially if I slammed. Thus, I wanted to lose some kilos to protect my body and become a better skier. I haven’t stopped running since then.But I’ve moved away from the mountains and the snow. Prior to that, I had at least 100 skiable days a year, now I get around 10. Is there anything that you picked up from skiing that you've incorporated into your running? Not really. Perhaps just trying to enjoy every step, just as I enjoyed every turn. Believe in the possible, be thankful over the fact I live in a free country, am healthy, and that I have the ability to do the things I love. The cornerstone of the Satisfy ethos is The High, that feeling we chase during a long run wherein the repetitive movements of the body are operating so seamlessly that our physical awareness melts away and allows us to reach a higher state of consciousness—a kind of mechanical intoxication. What comes together for you during a run that allows you to achieve this state? I find that it’s easy to put away my brain while running, to enter an almost meditative state where I feel more connected with my surroundings than myself. But I wouldn’t describe that as The High. I’m an adrenaline junkie and I’ve been searching for kicks everywhere in life since I was a teenager. I think I have a high threshold.For me, The High in running is when all your emotions suddenly feel a thousand times stronger and come crashing over you like a tsunami. You oscillate between crying, laughing, feeling anger and gratitude. It's a state I can only reach when I’ve run really, really far and am really, really tired. In the campaign video, you said,

How did a small French brand born from the fashion industry come to make the most important clothing in running?

The trail running apparel collection leans heavy on technical fabrics and bold prints with encouraging results

“Bridging the gap between the where and the what”.

Running Technology campaign runner, Max Jolliffe, sat down with us at an immensely safe social distance (across the globe) to tell us about himself and the activities that shape his lifestyle and outlook. Can you give us a short bio? Hi, my name is Max Jolliffe, I’m 28 years old. I’m from Newport Beach, CA and I grew up surfing and skateboarding and now I run marathons. Surfing seems to be an important activity in your life, can you tell us how you got into it and what it does for you? Being raised close to the beach really shaped who I am as a person and it was only natural that surfing was going to be such a huge part of my life. So, I started surfing when I was about 8 or 9 years old and I was hooked instantly—it’s just pure fun for me and it’s something I’ve been doing my whole life. I love being in the water and around the ocean and I can’t really imagine what my life would be like without surfing. Why do you run? I originally started running after recovering from a pretty bad ankle injury, maybe about 5 years ago, and I just wanted to get back into shape. I started off really slow, I could barely run a couple miles, and gradually, as time went on, I started running more and more, increasing my pace and my mileage as I went. Somewhere along the way, I really started to fall in love with it. Running makes me feel good, it always has. Lately, I’ve been signing up for races and training really hard just to challenge myself and see what my full potential is. What came first: surfing or running? Surfing came long before running. I never really planned on being a runner, I didn’t even run in high school—it never even crossed my mind. I always kind of gravitated toward other things. Like in high school, I did swimming and played water polo. But all I ever really wanted to do was go skateboarding and surfing. I feel like I discovered running a little bit late in life and I really wish that I’d found it earlier. What are the similarities between what you get out of surfing vs. running? Differences? You’d actually be surprised with how many similarities there are between running and surfing: they’re both very solitary sports. It’s fun to do with friends sometimes but if you’re a die- hard you’re usually going by yourself. They’re both lifelong activities. It’s not uncommon for me to see older people in their 60s or 70s both running and surfing, so that’s really cool to see. It’s a great opportunity to get outside—in nature, in the sunlight. And I feel like they’re really spiritual, I always feel calmer and more centered if I do them daily. The biggest difference I’d say between the two is that running comes pretty naturally to most people, everybody instinctually knows how to run, whereas surfing has a little more difficult of a learning curve and requires a lot more technique to learn. Describe your relationship with the long run and what it does for you physically, mentally, and/or spiritually. I absolutely love long runs. Pounding the pavement is like a time warp sometimes. A two hour run can feel like 20 minutes in my head. Long runs are where I do some of my best thinking and I always find myself going deep into the zone and working through whatever is going on in my head. It’s been super therapeutic for me over the years and I feel like I crave them sometimes. Often people ask me, “Why the hell would you run 20+ miles in your spare time?!” I don’t know—it just puts me in the right place mentally and spiritually and I always feel more connected and tuned in after a long run. It helps me handle anything that life throws at me, all the bad stuff just seems to bounce off me and it does something for me that nothing else can. And I’m not going to lie, the long runs hurt but for some reason I seem to enjoy the pain. I see you just ran the L.A. Marathon—what was it like leading up to it, during it, and after? Oh man, the L.A. marathon was a rollercoaster of a ride for me. Nothing went as planned and I had to deal with things that were totally out of my control. It started about mid-January when I hurt my toe surfing, [laughs] of course. I couldn’t put on a shoe for about a week and I didn’t run for over a month. So that really screwed up my whole training plan. And then the morning of the race was a complete nightmare. Traffic was so bad getting to Dodgers Stadium, I honestly didn’t think we were going to make it. My shuttle was late and we pulled up as the gun was going off so there were 20,000 people in front of me. I pretty much started in last place. It took me 7 minutes to finally cross the start line and once I took off I was kind of flying. Bobbing and weaving through the slower runners was actually pretty fun but I definitely paid for it later on in the race. I was playing catch up the whole time so it took me 14 miles to finally catch up to the pace group I wanted to start with. And then things started to get really tough for me around mile 21. My legs got extremely tight and I really started to feel the fatigue. Then mile 23 my headphones died so I was totally in my head from there. Somehow, I managed to hold it together and finish with a time of 3:06, which I think is 308th overall. So I’m really happy with my result considering everything that happened. I also see you ran it in one of our cotton tops. Can you tell the anti-cotton naysayers how that worked out?! The Strummer tee is one of my favorites. I love that tee so much because it’s nice and soft on the skin and it’s got such good ventilation because of the distress holes. I always wear cotton shirts when I run. To me, it’s just more comfortable and more breathable, and I prefer cotton over poly or any other synthetic fiber shirt—it just feels better. “The High” is the cornerstone of the Satisfy ethos. What does this mean to you? How do you attain this state in your running? In your surfing? The runner’s high: that’s why we run. To me, there’s almost no better feeling. It’s what keeps me coming back and I’m always chasing that feeling. I feel like the high from running is totally different than surfing. The runner’s high comes more from deep and intense breathing, it’s very meditative. And the high from surfing comes more from the adrenaline rush. I love both. Being immersed in both run and surf culture, how do you think the scenes are similar? How do you think they could evolve and learn from each other? Both scenes are super rad. These people are just out there doing it because they love it and I find that they’re both full of chill, laidback, happy people that I really vibe with. I think one way that the running world can influence the surf community to evolve is by making more technical and functional equipment. I always enjoy the attention to detail, quality and innovation in running gear. And one thing I think the surf community does a really good job at is making surfing look fun and appealing through media and the culture which I think the running world can really learn and benefit from. Photos by Magdalena Wosinska Max Jolliffe on Instagram

In this episode we bring you an exclusive interview with ultra runner Jenn Shelton and in the quick tip segment Angie shares her summer reading list.

The niche Canadian running brand by lifelong shoe industry veterans is now using one of the lightest and strongest materials ever made