Outdoor Reads: Run a marathon, knit a scarf? October best month ever?

What did the SNEWS team read this week that other industry insiders might find interesting? Read on to find out!

• A marathon is no walk in the park, but it’s not an impossible feat. If we could do it, anybody can. If your customers are looking for some motivation to run a marathon and think they can’t do it, have them check out this story, which features a bunch of people who ran marathons while doing wacky things like dribbling basketballs or knitting the whole way.

• Trail running is a great gateway activity to get hooked on the outdoors. So when a new customer walks into your doors wanting to get started trail running, have them check out this story. It includes eight tips for trail running. One of the tips, to wear water-resistant footwear, is a great in to make a sale.

• The leaves have fallen, the colors have changed and the chill is here to stay. Fall is officially here. If you don’t want to do a ton of research on the greatest outdoor adventures to have during our most favorite season, you can check out this story that outlines nine outdoor adventures to have across the U.S. Some include a bike ride in South Dakota’s Black Hills and peeping leaves while getting fit in Colorado.

• It is also around the fall when many long-distance hikers are wrapping up their phenomenal feats and those would-be long-distance hikers are planning others for the upcoming year. But what are the best hikes to embark on? This National Geographic post has some suggestions.

• Last year for Halloween, we were walking back home with a tiny little trick-or-treater. There was a hill before we got to the house. He said, with sadness in his voice, “I don’t like climbing this mountain.” If you’re in a pickle like this, you can ask the expert Michael Lanza how to hike with preschool-age kids here.

• We totally agree with this blog post in the Morning Fresh: October is the best month ever and there are only a few days left in it. Why is it the best? The author goes on to discuss the seven reasons why October is the best ever, including the gorgeous colors and apple cider. So get to enjoying the best month of the year while you still can.

• So you’re probably getting a few customers who want to enjoy all those great things about the fall while trying out gear they bought from you. Where should they go? Where are the best fall camping spots around? This Active.com post claims it has pinpointed the 15 best fall camping spots.

• If you don’t read Active Junky, you probably missed this nugget about the top five pieces of gear for fall bike rides. The gear includes some great stuff from Five Ten, Osprey, Giro and Chrom. Check out the story to find out what specific products were included.

• Enough holding onto the past. Fall is almost gone, and ski and snowboard season is upon us. So what’s the hot gear that your customers are all going to be coming in requesting? Check out this gear newsletter from Snowboard Magazine to find out what the snowboarding clientele is being told is new and hot.

• Sustainability is a word we’ve heard thrown around for the past few years. But the Outdoor Industry Association doesn’t like that word. It implies a fad, they said, and they’d rather it be referred to as “supply chain management.” So to help companies employ supply chain management strategy, the OIA has teamed up with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition to launch a chemical management tool to help suppliers and buyers identify ingredients to use in products that minimize impact on humans and the environment. Check out this Environmental Leader story.

Did you read anything awesome this week? Email us because we want to read it, too.