theSkimm - Weekend: This goes out to all my girls

Update location or View forecast

“Any ridges, holes, rind bits”

— What one woman looks for when fortune-telling through cheese. Un-brie-lievable.

theSkimm With

The Run Club Founder Making Strides for Slow Runners

Across the country, running clubs are gaining momentum. While some are racing towards lofty goals, like hitting a PR at tomorrow’s New York City Marathon, others are taking things slow and steady. Case in point? New York’s Slow Girl Run Club, a pace-inclusive group that prides itself on making the sport feel welcoming to anyone. To learn more, we spoke with its founder, Isabel DiGiovanni…

Q: What motivated you to start a run club — particularly one that caters to a slower pace?

Last September, I was training for the New York City Marathon and was looking to join a run club … Many said they were pace inclusive and that anyone could join, but when I’d show up for a run, I’d kind of be left in the dust. Everybody would run eight-minute miles, which is totally fine, but not what I was looking for. I started the Slow Girl Run Club because I wanted to have a pace-inclusive club where we say we’re running 11- or 11:30-minute miles — and we actually do that … I know slow is a very relative term. We use [it to mean] a very casual, non-intimidating pace, where you can just show up and not really give it your all. [It was important to] have that in the name [because] people see themselves. They’re like, ‘Oh, that’s actually me.’

Q: Has that been the case?

[I knew] there was a demographic that was looking for this kind of club, but I didn’t realize it would take off as much as it did ... We basically started with seven of my friends, and I made one TikTok [about us running]. The next time, 50 people showed up. And now, so many people show up every week.

Q: Given that they’re not coming to run faster, what are the reasons so many people participate?

Community is a huge part of why people are in the club. Runners come in all shapes and sizes and run at all different paces — so it’s important to find people who run at your pace, who you can run with outside of the club, and who [share] the same interests … [I’ve asked] some people at the run club if they knew each other before joining, and they’re like, ‘No we met here.’ Or, I’ll see the different group chats being made or the people running on Strava together. That’s awesome to see … [Also], as a woman, running at night — especially as we get deeper into fall and winter — can be very difficult to do in the city. But having a big group of women [can] make you feel safer, at least in my experience.

Q: What’s your biggest piece of advice for someone who wants to get into running?

Don’t worry about pace. Trying to run fast — especially if you’ve never really run before or if you only ran when you were younger — [can] be so discouraging because you might feel out of shape or like you can’t do it … So [instead of] worrying about the metrics, even mileage, just get out there, put your feet on the ground, and think about what makes you feel good. It’s supposed to make you feel happy … [My club] only runs 2 miles … People who don’t think they can [even do that] will say to me [afterward], “I had no idea I could do this. This gave me so much confidence” … [It’s] a great feeling to hear someone say that — and to have more people get into running and [realize] it’s not as scary as [they] might think … I hope that the running high doesn’t ever die down.

Psst, this interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What's Happening

🏠 In home…

Cloffices may be going out of business, but rest assured, you can still carve out your own space. See: bed nooks. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a novel way to style your bookshelves, check out this egg-cellent hack. And “Grocery Girl Fall.”

🍰 In food…

Meet Flippy, Chippy, and Hyphen — robots that could come to your fave fast food spots. That’s as celebs and food giants continue to cook up unexpected collabs. And as “snacking cakes” take, well, the cake. Also, not sure what to do with the Halloween haul? Avoid being an “almond mom” and whip up one of these treats.

💋 In beauty…

People are becoming less tight-lipped about lip filler — and all the ways Beauty Girl Math actually adds up. Plus, while velvet hair has many taking a sip of bordeaux red, others are playing around with teasylights.

Skimm Reads

“Death Valley” by Melissa Broder...This book’s protagonist is running away from a web of tragedies: Her father is in the ICU and her husband’s chronic illness is ever-present. So she drives, alone, to a Best Western in the California desert, planning to clear her head. There, she’s pointed to a hiking trail by one of the hotel’s receptionists, and ends up on a hero’s journey that alters her understanding of life, death, and all that goes with it. This is a profound look at caregiving and grief, but it also manages to be a very funny, quick, and engaging read. Don’t miss it.

The Best Holiday Gifts Ever…Unwrapped

It may seem early, but when you consider the time it takes to search for the perfect gifts (and factor in shipping), we recommend starting your holiday shopping as soon as possible. To help you find the best options, we’ve curated a range of gift guides that’ll cover everyone on your list. Introducing: the best holiday gifts ever…unwrapped.

Here are today’s recs to help you live a smarter life…

1. A tech-forward SUV that helps make life simpler.

The Buick 2024 Encore GX’s driver-assistance features help take the stress out of driving (we see you, available Rear Camera Mirror and available HD Surround Vision).† So you can get where you need to go — confidently.*

Learn more

2. PSA: It's National Sex Toy Day.

Celebrate by snagging 20% off a bestselling vibrator with code Avatoys20. Then shop more tools of the trade in our guide to the best sex toys for every person and preference.

Add to cart

3. The best sales to shop this week.

When the clocks fall back on Sunday, you'll be happy to have this alarm clock to gently wake you up on dark mornings. That great deal and more, up ahead.

See all deals

Psst…love our recs? Follow @skimmshopping on Instagram for more products, gifts, and services that are actually worth the hype (and the price tag).

*PS This is a sponsored post.

†Safety or driver-assistance features are no substitute for the driver’s responsibility to operate the vehicle in a safe manner. Read the vehicle Owner's Manual for important feature limitations and information.

On Our Radar

This just in: QVC’s putting the ‘savings’ in daylight savings with their biggest live shopping event of the season. We’re talking free shipping on everything, plus major discounts on Skimm-fave brands. But hurry. This sale ends tomorrow.*

Older messages

I want you to be there for me

Friday, November 3, 2023

Skimm'd with a wildly hilarious comedy starring Awkwafina and Sandra Oh — Check out what we Skimm'd for you today November 3, 2023 Subscribe Read in browser Daily Skimm Disney Quiz Lady Trailer

Take me back to November

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Skimm'd while ditching my financial anxieties — Check out what we Skimm'd for you today November 2, 2023 Subscribe Read in browser Daily Skimm Skimm'd while ditching my financial anxieties

Rabbit, rabbit

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Skimm'd with a hot cup of tea — Check out what we Skimm'd for you today November 1, 2023 Subscribe Read in browser Daily Skimm Skimm'd with a hot cup of tea Update location or View forecast

I'm a detective. I will detect.

Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Skimm'd while giving back for Halloween — Check out what we Skimm'd for you today October 31, 2023 Subscribe Read in browser Daily Skimm Header Image Together with trick or treat for unicef

You have to stop the Q-Tip when there’s resistance

Monday, October 30, 2023

— Check out what we Skimm'd for you today October 30, 2023 Subscribe Read in browser Daily Skimm Update location or View forecast “Shake It Off” — The Taylor Swift song that played in the stadium

Meaningful Gatherings