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<”Apple Watch Selfie” at Mount Diablo State Park>

On the cover of this month’s issue is Quintiles CEO Tom Pike. Just less than one year after becoming CEO at Quintiles in 2012, Pike competed in the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon, which the company first sponsored in 2010. While Pike had been running for over two decades, it was his first race ever. Pike’s time was impressive for a first half marathon but, what was even more impressive is his commitment to exercise— a fitting trait for a CEO of a company that takes pride in engaging its employees in leading healthy lives. Read about Tom Pike and Quintiles’ sponsorship of the Quintiles Bull City Race Fest and Food Truck Rodeo in our Runner Spotlight in this issue.
Pike’s recent half marathon times have placed him in the top of his age group but, he insists he is not a competitive runner. Runners that do consider themselves “competitive” will want to get ready for the Endurance Magazine Long Distance Championship Series’ next event— the 4th Annual Eno River Run. The run features an 11-miler as well as a 6-miler which serves as the USATF-NC Trail Championships. There will be a cash purse for top USATF-NC finishers. The race is presented by Bull City Running Co. and benefits the Eno River Association. Over the past 3 years, the event has raised nearly $10,000 to support efforts to build, maintain, and protect the trails along the Eno River watershed.

Anyone who may have stalked my race times on Athlinks will know for certain that I am NOT a competitive runner. But, I recently had the opportunity to test and review the Fitbit Surge GPS watch and heart rate monitor which is more targeted to runners than the typical Fitbit step tracker. The Fitbit Surge could be a great all-in-one device for the right type of runner. Check out my review to learn my thoughts on the watch and what type of athlete I think will like it best.

I tested the Fitbit Surge in San Francisco earlier this year with a lot of other health and fitness journalists from all over the country. While there I ran a bit in the John Muir State Park, Mount Diablo State Park, and a guided trail run to the Pacific Ocean with a team of Fitbit rep’s and my old friend Roy Wallack, who I rode across the country of Costa Rica with during the epic mountain bike race La Ruta de los Conquistadores back in 2007. An accomplished author, Wallack gave me a revised edition of his book Bike for Life: How to Ride to 100—and Beyond. The fact that I’m currently following the book’s 16-week cycling plan should reveal my thoughts about the book. If you need more details than that, check out my review of Wallack’s book in this issue.

You certainly couldn’t “bike for life” without a good diet. If all the great healthy eating tips and recipes we provided in our September edition weren’t enough, we have more for you! As the weather cools this time of year you will certainly want to try out Brandon McDearis’ latest recipe: Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup. This healthy soup is perfect for a crisp autumn day.

If there’s one thing I like better than a hearty soup on a cold day it’s a good run on a cold day. There’s nothing better to me than being able to run without getting baked in the sun. Shoe companies know there’s many more runners than me who step up their running game this time of year which is why this fall, runners can expect some updates to their favorite shoes. Check out our shoe review guide to see a few of our favorites from the newest batch of road and trail shoes, sure to add a spark to your training.

Inspire. Perform. Endure. — Joe Nuss