Earlier this year he ran from California to Boston, now the “real Forrest Gump” Patrick Sweeney is back at it again, running from Chicago to New York. This time it’s for peace. Suunto supported athlete Patrick Sweeney and running friend Alex Ramsey completed the Chicago Marathon earlier this month and just kept on running. The two are running all the way from Chicago across four states and 1368 km to New York City where they will end their journey by running in the New York Marathon on November 1.Patrick (left) and Alex holding the 'torch of humanity' Since starting out, they’ve covered more than 1100 km and have a short distance to go. They’ve been doing about 72 km a day – and in minimalist running shoes. Aside from a few aches and pains, their bodies are holding up and they’re having a blast. They are both seasoned ultramarathoners. Running mind boggling distances isn’t a chore to them, it’s a way of life. “Everything is just coming together in a magical way,” Patrick says. “A lot of the course has been quite beautiful and remarkably amazing.” Click here to read Patrick’s running motivation tips Patrick with multisport athlete and fellow vegan Laura Kline. As they’ve run, they’ve taken turns carrying the ‘torch of humanity’. The torch is a symbol for the Champions Walk for Peace, an international effort to raise USD$250,000 to build a peace education school in Kenya’s North Rift Valley where ethic violence and inter-communal conflict has resulted in 600 deaths and 435,000 displaced people in 2014 alone, according to reports from the UN. Organized by genocide prevention NGO Aegis Trust, the torch began its journey in July from the North Rift Valley – the Cradle of Civilization – in the hands of Kenyan running stars who carried it northward. In the second leg, British runners carried the torch 3540 km across the UK to London. Now Patrick and Alex are on route to the New York Marathon where they will return it to the Kenyan runners who first began its journey. “It’s a cause we are grateful to champion,” Patrick says “Nobody should have to live their life in fear. “The school in Kenya will help educate people about their differences so they can work together and create peace.” Read about Patrick’s previous run across the USAMany supporters and runners have come out to join them on the road. Author of the famous book Born to Run Christopher McDougall invited them to sleep at his house for the night and joined them on the road. The tricky things have been finding vegan food and negotiating dangerous roads. “I’m poor and vegan so my food options are not that plentiful,” Patrick says. “In the mornings I usually eat a few energy bars and a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and for dinner it’s almost always an avocado sandwich with pickle chips and a cold beer whenever I can find one.”

Step into Suunto ambassador Emelie Forsberg’s running shoes for a week of training, yoga, gardening, baking and cooking. When it comes to the mountain lifestyle, she’s living the dream. Take a peek into her world and be inspired! Trail running champion Emelie Forsberg lives in Chamonix in the French Alps and spends her days running around the Mont Blanc massif. But her life isn’t all intense training and competition. She has downtime and spends it doing yoga in stunning outdoor locations, tending her vegetable garden, studying and baking her signature treats. “I think for me, because I haven't always been in the world of training and racing, as many other athletes have, I find it very important to do other things on the side of the athlete life,” Emelie says. “I like to make up new recipes, read biology articles to keep my education up-to-date. I love taking time for the garden, and harvesting veggies in the summer and autumn. I also like writing, which I do for a Swedish magazine. All of these hobbies make my life as an athlete better!” Press play to watch Emelie talk about her love of running Monday: double training session Morning: I often wake up early (5 or 6 am), which means the sun has not normally risen over the mountains to reach the house. I often do yoga inside and then I make a coffee and go outside and walk around my little garden. I eat some homemade muesli and yoghurt. I leave the house and start the training. The first run is a harder session with some intervals.Noon: After getting home from my run, I prepare the lunch, usually with something from the garden. My favourite food now is a zucchini lasagne with tomatoes and cheese and Swiss chard. Then I need to catch up with emails and when I’m finished I bake some tasty cookies to enjoy that night. Afternoon/evening: Then it’s time for the afternoon session and I go for an hour easy run. Afterward, I do stretching and 10 core and back exercises. Prepare my running pack for the following day. I always go to bed early because I wake up early. Emelie recently attended a one week yoga camp. © Emelie Forsberg Tuesday: long mountain day Morning: Wake up early and take a quick breakfast. Grab my pack and go into the mountains. Training: Often the approach is around 3.4 hours and then the climbing and scrambling starts. I like to choose mountains where you need crampons and one ice axe. Evening: Coming home around dinnertime, I prepare a good dinner with veggies from the garden and then I spend the rest of the evening at home and maybe on the sofa reading. I like easy reading books that are like movies, like books by Ken Follet, or sometimes books by people like John Muir and Umberto Eco. Emelie has two vege patches. One is 3 m x 3 m, the other 1 m x 1.5 m. © Emelie Forsberg Wednesday: easy day Morning: I go on a short morning run before breakfast, come back and catch up with computer work. Then I bake something and do some gardening. I like to bake cakes, pastries and desserts as well as sourdough or fruit and nut bread. I experiment with flour like with chickpea flour, coconut flour and almond flour. Afternoon: I do a yoga session in the afternoon. This is a rest day. Click here to read more about Emelie Forsberg Cinnnamon buns are one of her favorite things to bake. © Emelie Forsberg Thursday: mixed day Morning: Yoga, coffee in the sun, then breakfast followed by a three hour run at a good pace. The pace depends on the terrain, but it’s almost racing pace.Noon: Lunch, with veggies from the garden. Afternoon: Roller skiing. Only uphill! Emelie's tips for improving your trail running! She runs straight out of her door and into the mountains. © Emelie Forsberg Friday: interval day Morning: Yoga, coffee in the sun, breakfast and then an interval training session. Afternoon: A two-hour easy paced run A coffee in the sun is a daily must in her routine. © Emelie Forsberg Saturday: rest day Just taking it easy today. Maybe going for an easy run. "I love maps! Looking to new routes and adventures," Emelie says. © Emelie Forsberg Sunday: big day This is normally a race day! If there’s no race, I normally do about a four hour run in the morning and stretch and do a core workout in the afternoon.Click here for Emelie's power pancakes recipe! Emelie does a core workout surrounded by her gardening equipment © Emelie Forsberg

With heat of the day soaring to 35° C, it was one of the hottest races in the history of the Kona Ironman. Suunto ambassador Åsa Lundström gave it everything she had and improved her placement by six positions from last year. We caught up with her for the final instalment of our four part series about her road to Kona. © OrcaHer goal was to finish in the top 15, no small feat at the world’s premier Ironman. Placing 11th, Swedish triathlete Åsa Lundström achieved this and says she’s confident she can do even better next year. “After learning several lessons from last year’s race, I had a better strategy for this year’s,” she says. “I know also I still have a lot of unused potential, both in terms of my physical capacity and from a strategic point of view.” To prepare for the Kona Ironman in Hawaii and the race’s humid conditions, she spent the prior three weeks training in the Canary Islands. “I was alone for the first week in Kona, which was pretty good for mental preparation, and a few days before the race my parents came to support me, which was incredibly valuable.” Click to learn about the Kona Ironman! © Orca Mental preparation is an important aspect of her training and focus on race day. Åsa visualizes potential race day scenarios and how she would handle them if they did occur. She has a list of mantras and other mental techniques ready to use when the going gets tough during the race. “I try to focus on my own performance, look back on what I have done in my training and believe I have done enough,” she says. While Åsa didn’t have the perfect race, she’s happy with the improvements she did make. Being more patient, focusing on her performance and not giving much thought to the performance of other athletes were important lessons. “I learnt that cooling myself on the bike and run is on of the biggest factors that affect the outcome of the race,” she says. “Cold water under the helmet, over the body while cycling, ice in the sports bra, cold water sponges over the body and holding ice in the hands while running are useful methods to avoid overheating.” Click here to read more about Åsa Lundström © OrcaThe end of the road cycling leg was the most challenging part of Åsa’s race. Pedalling with tired legs into a strong head wind in hot conditions required all the mental toughness she could muster to get through. “There is much more to get out of my potential, and I’m already super psyched to start working to lift my level another couple of inches for next year’s Kona Ironman,” Åsa says. “Before I begin my off-season I will race in the Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship in Bahrain in early December. “Thanks to all who follow and support my journey! It means more to me than you might think.” Here are links to part one, part two and part three of our four part series on Åsa's road to Kona Ironman. Lead image: © Orca/Gines Diaz

Here are the last two candidates in the Dream Traverse Video Contest final! Vote for your favorite to make its creator's dream come true. View all six videos and choose your winner at traversecollection Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters. SNOWBOARDING IN JAPAN Candidate number five is Tom Harrison from London, UK. Or actually the whole Harrison family has a dream of snowboarding in Japan. “As a family we enjoy adventure, and I helped my sons create the film for the competition about the familie's dream trip to Japan,” Tom says. “Whether it’s camping, climbing, hiking or skiing, we can’t get enough of new challenges. Leaving London for a new adventure, even if it’s for only a couple days, is always a thrill.” When asked what the outdoors mean to him, Tom turned to his 15-year-old son to get an answer. “The outdoors is something that he can’t even begin to comprehend; a place that breeds adventure. Living in the city he feels contained, boxed in, always looking out the classroom window into the unknown, and all he wants to do is explore it.” “Outdoors give you an overwhelming sense of achievement. Getting out of London and going on an adventure is an amazing feeling, and it’s addictive. You can really find yourself when you are lost in the outdoors.” The Harrison family’s dream is to snowboard in Niseko, Japan. “In Niseko both amateurs and professional shred the fresh snow of the mountain,” Tom explains. Tom would take his sons also to Tokyo and Kyoto to explore the culture and beauty of their dream destination. “I would love to see my boys’ faces as they watch the crowds at the famous Shibuya zebra crossing in Tokyo or marvel at the beauty of the bamboo forest in Kyoto. It would be an unforgettable experience.” TRAIL RUNNING EP.5 Finalist number six is Björn Hunger, 17, from Windischgarsten, Austria. Björn enjoys trail running, mountain biking, ski mountaineering and shooting videos. “For me outdoors mean freedom. It's the best thing in the world to be out in the mountains with my friends and family!” Björn says. Björn’s dream traverse destination is Iceland. “To go to Iceland is one of my biggest dreams and it would be so cool to realize this dream!” “I would like to go to Iceland because the whole nature and the mountains there are so awesome.“ Get to know the other candidates: DREAM TRAVERSE VIDEO CONTEST FINALISTS: KINGDOM TRAVERSE AND PATAGONIA DREAMING DREAM TRAVERSE VIDEO CONTEST FINALISTS: DO THINGS ALWAYS AND WINTRY CHINA DREAM Go to traversecollection, watch the videos and vote for your favorite. Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters.

Get to know the first two Dream Traverse Video Contest finalists and vote for your favorite to make its creator's dream come true! View all six videos and choose your winner at traversecollection Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters. KINGDOM TRAVERSE The first candidate, Grobler Basson, comes from Cape Town, South Africa. Grobler and some of his friends actually had their adventure dream long before the contest. “We have been planning our adventure for the better part of this year, we even called it the Kingdom Traverse long before we knew of Suunto's plans and the launch of your new Traverse watch,” Grobler says. “We will traverse Lesotho from one side to the other. We will do this the only way we know possible – high altitude trail running, some off-the-grid mountain biking, cold water swimming and breath-taking kayaking coupled with some off-the-chart camping spots and difficult navigation!” The Kingdom of Lesotho is a land locked mountain kingdom located inside South Africa. It is the country with the highest lowest point on Earth of 1400 m (4600 ft). “The Kingdom Traverse would serve two goals; firstly to stimulate and temporarily satisfy our need for adventure and exploration, secondly, we see Lesotho as an amazing jewel yet to be discovered by international adventure tourism. We believe that the Kingdom Traverse would bring some amazing exposure to what Lesotho has to offer, and possible boost their tourism!” PATAGONIA DREAMING Candidate number two is Kellen Witschen from northern Minnesota in the United States. “The outdoors is a place I can go to and feel free from a schedule and from responsibilities, even if it’s only a quick bike ride at the end of the day. It is a place to test your knowledge and skills, where the consequence of failure is very real and very apparent,” Kellen says. Kellen’s Dream Traverse is far from an evening ride: he wants to ride the Carretera Austral, a 770 mile dirt road that runs from Puerto Montt to the start of the Patagonian ice cap. “Ever since visiting Patagonia in 2012, I have dreamed about going back. While doing research there, I only got to see a small section of the area and the group traveled exclusively by motor vehicle. I want to go back and bike the entire 770 miles of the Carretera Austral.” “The road travels through many different types of landscape and vegetation, ranging from closely woven coastal canals and Patagonian Steppe to high mountain peaks.” Go to traversecollection, watch the six videos and vote for your favorite. Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters.

Learning to be flexible and to change things up is the key to staying motivated. Work on technique “A lot of times, when you're training for a race, there isn't as much time to step back and work on technique,” says running coach Nick White, from trainright.com. “The offseason is a great time to hire a coach or sign up for a weekend clinic on how to improve your running technique to increase your efficiency. Nearly everyone has a few small changes that could be made to their form, that will net big improvements in speed.” Join a running club There's nothing like the power of peer pressure to keep you going through the winter months. It's more social, fun and a great way to monitor your progress and gauge how you're doing against other runners. “Joining a structured routine let's you off having to follow your own program,” says White. Click here for 8 essential running form drills! Do a crazy challenge “I need to have something out there in the diary to keep me going,” says triathlon coach and ex-pro Richard Hobson. “Set up a silly challenge. Last year I did the ’30:30’. You have to run 30 minutes every day for 30 days. It’s not long but it’s amazing how you struggle when it’s dark and cold, and doing something like this gets you out the door.”   Patrick Sweeney onroute across America. © Patrick Sweeney Don’t run to run “Engage yourself in other activities while running,” says Patrick Sweeney, who probably knows quite a lot about motivation after recently running 5,000 km across America. “I live at the beach and I enjoy counting the different species of birds that I see, scanning the ocean for whales and dolphins and collecting discarded beach toys along the way. Running provides so much opportunity to find the simple joys in life. Don't think of it as a run, think of it as an adventure.” Mix it up with some cross-training “Running is a great mode of exercise, but it's not a perfectly well-rounded exercise program in and of itself. Using your off-season to add other forms of exercise is a great way to remind your body that it can do more than just run,” says White. He suggests taking up other ball, racket or outdoor sports like rock climbing to keep you active and fit while giving you a break from running. “Core work and weight training is a good thing to work on as well,” he adds.    Gediminas Grinius is also an advocate of night running. © Gediminus Grinius Ask yourself this: “Do you want to lose your fitness, which you worked on for the last six months,” Suunto ambassador Gediminas Grinius recommends asking yourself. “Do you want your neighbor to be faster? Do you want to gain weight? If you answer no, then your only option is to keep running.”   Read the 4 myths about ultra-running you need to know Run early (if you live in the city) “Weekend morning runs are great for aromas,” says Sweeney. “I’m vegan but I enjoy running around town taking in all the smells of bacon and eggs being cooked. Every block is full of new aromas to enjoy.” And what better way to finish your run than in a bakery? Go trail running “Most runners do their training on treadmills, roads, sidewalks, and bike paths,” says White. “There are many benefits to running on trails; better balance development, stability muscles get a workout that they don't get on flat pavement, there are often more hills to develop strength, softer surfaces usually that are easier on your muscles and joints. And those don't even mention the fact that trails often provide much better scenery!” Work on a weakness If you're a marathon runner, and spend most of your time doing longer runs at lower intensity, the off-season is a great time to work on your speed, strength, and power. “Hill repeats and track intervals can be a great way to do something different, while still improving your running,” says Trainright’s Nick White. “Or if you're a 5k runner and did a lot of speedwork but not a lot of volume, the off-season can be a good time to back off a bit and do some higher mileage to improve your aerobic base.” Don’t think: just hit play Don’t spend ages debating with yourself whether to go for a run or not as chances are, you’ll only talk yourself out of it. Just grab your mp3 player or phone and hit play on that motivational track that works for you. Works every time.   What are your tips running when you don’t feel like it? Let us know via our social channels with the hashtag #suuntorun