Rest at the End

Hey Team!

It’s been one heck of a week. I’ve been all over the map... literally. From the quieter pockets of Tofino and Vancouver to the energy of Toronto and New York, and now on route to San Antonio for The Running Event. I’ll only be here for 48 hours before reversing the whole trip again.

Someone in New York messaged me today saying, “Omg you’re wild.” It made me laugh, mostly because they’re not wrong. The travel load is heavy right now, and for some people it’s the first time they’ve seen this version of me. Some days it feels like I’m fully engaging with life and pursuing my purpose. Other days it feels like I’m lost in the chaos of it all. Maybe it’s both. Maybe that’s something I’ll explore more. But one thing I know for sure: this is exactly where I need to be, and I’m embracing it all.

A Mental Edge

A quote from Kobe Bryant keeps finding its way into my world: “Rest at the end, not in the middle.” It showed up for me last week, and it feels very alive right now. Especially during this shorter stint in NYC. The travel has been non-stop. I love it, I choose it, and I’m grateful for it. But it still takes a toll. Routines get disrupted. The body gets thrown around a bit. I do everything I can to hold the line on nutrition, exercise, and sleep... but it’s natural for some things to slip.

What hit me most was the quiet. The lack of a partner to debrief the day with when I get back to the hotel. I have close friends, and we talk daily, but it’s different when you have someone who meets you at the end of the day with their own stories, their own energy, their own world. That contrast becomes more obvious when you’re living out of airports and hotel rooms.

This is where that Kobe mantra grounds me. Rest at the end. I remind myself that seasons shift. That life moves fast when I’m on the road... a mile a minute, which ironically is a phrase I’ve never questioned until now. But when I return to Tofino, everything slows. I reset, restore, and regulate. And I’m realizing that the polarity between Tofino and New York is giving me exactly the push and pull I need right now. Maybe it’s temporary. Maybe it evolves. But for this moment, it’s working.

From The Field

On my flight from New York to San Antonio, I ended up next to someone also heading to TRE. Lois enters the plot. She’s a freelance writer for a few publications, most notably one of the top outlets covering global sneaker and footwear trends. She’s attending to see what brands are launching, how they’re positioning, and what this next year of performance wear looks like. As someone who’s always had an interest in fashion, I was fully tuned in.

We talked through all the heavy hitters... Nike, Adidas, HOKA, ON. Her view is that Adidas has been on top this past year. Sleeker silhouettes, strong stack heights, and the Adidas Adizero lineup taking the lead. She felt Nike has a chance to make a resurgence through their push into more in-person events. HOKA and ON, while still leading, seem to have lost some of the spark they had two years ago. And for the first time, Brooks appears to be leaning into lifestyle.

The overarching theme: tech-enhanced performance wear is the wave. Athleisure is tapering. And the middle-lane brands... lululemon, Alo... are starting to feel directionally stuck.

I’ll let you know next week if the floor at TRE validates this. It’s the biggest running event of the year, and I’m curious to see who shows up strong and who’s pivoting.

Quick Reminders Before You Start:

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Kelsey Kitsch’s Paramount Love weekly newsletter. I tend to talk about performance and mindset... she helps you optimize your relationships and deepen your connection with yourself and your partner. Definitely worth the 5-minute read each week, and “must subscribe.”

Take this as a reminder to keep going when you have wind at your back. We rest at the end, not in the middle.

Catch you on the Start Line,
—Matty