This past work week, for me, has been packed with marathon meetings, tying-up a lot of tactical “loose ends,” and doing my best to balance my training (for the upcoming Army 10-Miler) and my travel plans for my jaunt across the pond next week. It’s never really fun for all of these things to converge at once as it adds to my overall stress levels. (Queue the martini shaker sound.) Adding to this stress is all the madness happening around the world: the conflict in Syria, an earthquake here, a plane crash there, and Sanrio reveals that Hello Kitty is not a cat.

Wait, whaaaaaaaat?! (Not that I am equating the rumblings in Syria to the shock factor of Hello Kitty’s big reveal, just so you know…)

Clearly, we live in times that keep us moving. Things happen… Life happens. And while I know that I thrive in a fast-paced life, there are those days when I miss being able to really detach from anything and everything. When I need to take a step-back, I always remember my few years living in Santa Monica. Not that L.A. is slow (because it really isn’t), but relative to the quick-paced cadence of the East Coast, there is definitely an easier-going vibe in and around L.A. that I crave now and then. Thinking of those years really helps me take a mental note, look at things from the outside, and – essentially – re-boot. For the times that leave us absolutely mentally and physically drained, there should be times for us to gather ourselves up again; to keep things whole. We all have to find that sense of quiet sometimes. We need those moments where we can stop, and just let things happen… to be more exploratory, and to take wrong turns.

During a brief moment of “detachment” this morning, I was sifting through some digital content on Mr. Porter when I came across this video, Iffley Road: The Run. The lifestyle video actually features a brand consultant from London, Mr. Ben Gallagher, as he completes a morning run in and around the city. Per the write-up, Gallagher took to “running as an activity done in pursuit of personal growth…” Watching and listening to the clip definitely relaxed me, and reminded me of the importance of maintaining a personal level of sanity day by day. Mr. Gallagher finds this in his runs, which I can completely relate to.

The video also serves as a digital marketing component for Iffley Road, a British brand that revels in the amateur era of [British] running, which is in contrast to the modern-day take on professional sports. The line boasts “technical” running garments that are stylish yet understated, with a clear focus on the quality and performance of the fabric. From classic tees to running shorts and other accessories, the pieces are created with the flexibility to sneak in a quick run before ducking into a café for a cup of coffee. Iffley Road currently ships across the UK, Europe, and around the world.

As the long weekend envelopes us, and we say our “good-byes” to Summer, I hope we can all take time to take a moment, stop and recharge. Seeing the world from different lenses on a different day is never a bad thing…