The Shine Fitness + Sleep Monitor from Misfit is a wearable device with a wide variety of uses. It works with the Misfit app for iOS and Android to gather and track data. In form factor, it is similar to a watch and even jewellery, and it can clip onto your wrist or clothing easily. After using the Shine, I will discuss in detail and share my thoughts on this interesting smart gadget.

Have you ever wondered how sake, the aromatic Japanese rice wine, was made? Pay homage to the beverage’s origin, Takayama, a place abundant with water from melting snow that flows to the Toyama and Niigata prefectures, known for rice harvesting. In its golden age, there were as many as 56 unique prospering sake breweries, but now seven traditional breweries are still proudly producing their signature drinks today. This unique Japanese location is also home to the Hida Takayama Ultra Marathon, a fascinating trail run overlooking spectacular sceneries.

Newly launched this week, the adidas Ultra BOOST is armed with the latest technologies. Intuitively adjusting to a runner’s stride, this shoe features unrivalled energy return, adaptive comfort and superior support.

Nagano City Athletic Park. A gun fires at 8:30 a.m. sharp. Bracing the pre-race jitters that all athletes face in ages past, marathoners will hit the ground running. Dashing past the same spectacular venues used during the 1998 Nagano Olympics, marathoners will eventually reach the climax of the race: the triumphant finish at an actual Olympic Stadium.

As the latest version in the revamped Triumph line of men’s running shoes, Saucony Shoes ISO-Triumph is highly cushioned and ideal for high mileage runners who log long hours out on the roads. Immediately out of the box, the shoe felt extremely light for such a highly-cushioned product. The aesthetic and colours were extremely pleasing on the eye. The upper area of the shoe is seamless, allowing me to run without socks, if I were so inclined. From the second I put them on, I had high hopes for this shoe—they felt as cushioned as advertised and provided an unparallelled fit.

It’s a beautiful spring morning. The heat of the day has yet to descend on the city and the daily corporate shuffle is about to commence. You throw on your running kit and decide to get a quick jog in before being held hostage at your desk for the rest of the day. The light breeze on your face and the luscious smell of freshly brewed coffee billowing out of the coffee shops you run by is almost distracting you from that deep ache that is developing in your knee. “It will go away” you tell yourself, but before too long, every step you take feels like someone is jamming a knife into your leg. “Uh oh… this isn’t good.”