The Daily Check-In 8.10

In David Siik’s Outdoor: Takeback Precision Run on Variis, he guides you through a pyramid-style run that starts with a longer interval and culminates at a short, “fast-plus” pace. The catch: You have to go back down the pyramid—maintaining that fast-plus pace. Try it:

Take 90-second recoveries in between each of the following intervals:

Run for 2.5 minutes at medium pace (5 to 6 out of 10).

Run for 2 minutes at a medium+ pace (6 to 7 out of 10).

Run for 1.5 minutes at a fast pace (7 to 8 out of 10).

Run for 1 minute at a fast+ pace (8 to 9 out of 10).

Then, reverse the pyramid, starting with a 1-minute interval, using the fast+ pace throughout.

High-quality canned tuna and lentils make for a protein-rich topping for sourdough toasts. Fresh basil adds a fresh, flavorful component, but feel free to add or swap in other herbs or thinly sliced summer vegetables like tomato, radish, or cucumber.

Wearing a mask while training can actually teach your body to recover quicker in between tough bouts, says Imbundu Namasaka, a Tier 2 trainer at Anthem Row in Washington D.C. That’s because the cardiovascular system must adapt since your body may feel as if it’s not getting as much air. (Note, though, that you’re not actually breathing in less oxygen. Learn more about The Equinox Standard and get our expert intel on working out while wearing a mask here.)

“Over time, this causes your cardiovascular system to function at a more efficient level, basically doing more or the same work with less and enhancing endurance,” Namasaka says.

Eighty percent of people experienced a distortion in the passage of time during lockdown, according to a study published in PLOS ONE. “People with low social satisfaction felt that lockdown passed slower,” says study author Ruth Ogden, Ph.D., senior lecturer in psychology at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK. That type of unhappiness is related to anxiety and depression, both of which are predictive of our experience of time. It’s possible that it could work in reverse, that the feeling of days dragging by could contribute to depression.

A key finding: Living with people didn’t influence perception of time, suggesting that it is quality rather than quantity of social interactions that matter.