For most sane people, a day off from exercise is a welcome chance to kick back and rest. Talk to many athletes, and they鈥檒l tell you that a rest day feels counterproductive at best and alarming at worst. But no matter your goal, recovery is an integral part of any training plan and crucial for optimal performance, says Michele Olson, adjunct professor of exercise science at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama. That said, effective recovery鈥攖hings like getting a massage, meditating, stretching, rehydrating, and eating well鈥攖akes work, so don鈥檛 think you can sneak in a few 鈥渞est鈥� days when you鈥檙e feeling a little lazy, she says. Instead, ask yourself these questions to determine if today鈥檚 fine to skip or if you should power through. 听

Am I extremely sore?

General achiness following a tough training session is totally normal. But if you鈥檙e exceptionally sore all over (think eight or nine on a pain scale of 10), continuing to exercise could cause severe injury, Olson says. Take a day off, and focus on targeted recovery, such as stretches and mobility exercises for that area. If your pain is consistently localized to one specific spot or part of the body and nowhere else, you could be headed toward an overuse injury, she warns. In these cases, you don鈥檛 need to skip your workout entirely. But rather than repeat your typical routine or go for your fifth run of the week, try a different sequence or hop on a bike instead.听

Did I sleep well last night?

If the answer is regularly 鈥榥o,鈥� it could be a sign of overtraining. 鈥淵our body is literally too tired to sleep, and it鈥檚 probably best for you to take a rest day or two,鈥� says Olson. Most of your recovery happens overnight while you sleep, especially if you鈥檙e working out at a high intensity. If you鈥檙e experiencing general fatigue due to a bad night鈥檚 sleep or really any other inexplicable reason, simply dial your workout down a notch. Go for a light run, head to yoga, or swim. 鈥淭hat way, you can test your body without putting too much stress on it and making you more susceptible to injury,鈥� Olson says.听

Is it possible that I鈥檓 coming down with something?

鈥淚f you鈥檙e feeling tired, very achy, and perhaps even feverish, listen to those signs and take a day off,鈥� says Olson. 鈥淵our immune system needs to use as much energy as possible to fight off a bug, and you can鈥檛 afford to use too much of it on exercise.鈥� Sit this one out, and if after a day you find that it鈥檚 just a common cold (no fever, but a runny nose and scratchy throat), you can then work out at a lower intensity, she says. 鈥淵ou should always give yourself a day to figure out what鈥檚 going on.听

Am I emotionally exhausted?

Sometimes exercise and the subsequent endorphin release can make you feel better instantly; other times, it can just make the problem worse. Listen to your body and of how various activities affect you. For example, if running at race pace will enhance anxiety, don鈥檛 do it. Take it slow, or try something entirely different. Olson, says.听

How many days have I worked out in a row this week?

鈥淭here are 3 training principles: Specificity, Overload and REST. You must use them all,鈥� Olson says. In other words, if you want to see results, you need to follow three steps: First, be specific about your movements and the muscles/energy systems you鈥檙e working, based on your goals; next, progressively scale up those muscles and energy systems to handle a bigger load; and, lastly, include adequate amounts of rest and recovery to capitalize on those improvements. As a general guideline, you shouldn鈥檛 stack more than two days of intense exercise together or work the same muscle group heavily two days in a row. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 use the other days for recovery, your work might backfire and you won鈥檛 see the desired improvements,鈥� Olson says

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The burpee is king in the world of high-intensity exercise. It鈥檚 highly efficient as a calorie burner but also incredibly effective as a way to get stronger, says Adam Rosante, strength and nutrition coach and author of . 鈥淚t鈥檚 a simple bodyweight move that develops strength and anaerobic conditioning and explosive power,鈥� he says. 鈥淧lus, it accelerates fat loss and boosts stamina.鈥� You can build an entire gym routine around the burpee and its modifications, or you can use it at the end of any workout as a finisher.

Since the burpee can both look and feel very tough at the start, we鈥檝e broken it down into a basic progression. Work through the steps until you can easily bang out 10 to 12 reps. Then, move on to the next level. If you鈥檙e a pro, feel free to skip to the end and try some of the modifications to make this already-killer move even harder.

How to Do It

Think of the burpee as a simple five-step move, recommends Rosante. The first two steps will always be the same, but you can change up the last three, depending on your fitness level.

Beginner: Plank Out-In

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Crouch down and place your hands on the floor, directly under your shoulders. Jump your feet back to land in plank position. Then jump your feet back up to meet your hands in the crouched position. Next, simply stand up. Return to the crouch position and repeat.

Intermediate: Burpee

鈥婼tand with feet hip-width apart. Crouch down and place your hands on the floor, directly under your shoulders. Jump your feet back to land in plank position. Return to the crouched position by bringing your feet up to meet your hands. Then, jump straight up as high as you can and clap hands overhead, landing softly. Immediately return to the crouch position and repeat.

Advanced: Burpee with Push-Up

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Crouch down and place your hands on the floor, directly under your shoulders. Jump your feet back to land in plank position, and then perform a push-up (lowering your chest toward the floor, keeping your elbows tucked in at your sides). Press back up, and then jump your feet up to meet your hands in the crouch position. Jump straight up as high as you can and clap hands overhead, landing softly. Immediately return to the crouch position and repeat.

Scale It Up

鈥淓ach of these variations will help you recruit even more muscle fibers and up the difficulty level, which will also boost your strength and conditioning benefits,鈥� Rosante says.

Add Resistance: Hold a pair of dumbbells or wear a weighted vest while performing the move.

Add an Obstacle: Jump onto (or over) something, like a bench, during the jump phase.

Add Forward, Backward, or Lateral Motion: Travel as far forward, backward, or to the left/right as you can during the jump phase.

Scale It Down

鈥淭he hardest part is learning to pace yourself. Most people move way too fast at the start and burn out before they鈥檙e able to finish a round,鈥� Rosante says. If you need to slow down, feel free. Walk, rather than jump, through the move. 鈥淧ush yourself, but don鈥檛 hurt yourself. Then push yourself a little harder each time.鈥�

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Although it鈥檚 a classic, the plank rarely gets the credit it deserves. Yes, it strengthens your core. But it does so much more than just give you solid abs, says Kimberly Alexander, personal trainer and co-owner of in Portland, Oregon. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 hide any weak muscles in a plank. Everything is exposed as you fight the force of gravity by engaging all your muscles at once to keep yourself lifted,鈥� she says. So while you鈥檙e definitely working those trunk muscles, you鈥檙e also firing up your shoulders, spine, hips, and abs to build head-to-toe strength and stability.

Here, we break the plank into its most basic parts. Then we give you ways to ramp it up as your fitness level progresses.

The Basics

鈥淭he most important thing to remember is to push down into the ground with your hands (or forearms) in order to stay lifted,鈥� Alexander says.

Place your palms on the floor, directly under your shoulders. Extend your legs directly behind you, with toes tucked under and abs engaged, forming a straight line from heels to shoulders. Make sure your heels are pushed back, quads are engaged, shoulders are down away from your ears, the crown of your head is lifted so your neck is neutral, and your back is flat. Hold for as long as you wish, remembering to breathe throughout.

Scale It Up

Alexander says one of the best ways to increase the intensity of your planks is to add movement. Each of the following variations will improve both your mobility and your core stability. Start in plank position, with hands directly under shoulders, abs engaged, and legs extended behind you. Then move into these variations as you鈥檇 like.

1. One-Legged Plank: a few inches toward the ceiling; hold for one breath. Lower, and repeat on left. Continue alternating sides throughout your hold.
2. Side Plank: , opening your chest toward the ceiling until your hips and legs are stacked on top of each other, and lift your left hand overhead, directly over shoulders. Hold for ten seconds, rotate back through center, and repeat on the other side.
3. Walking Plank: , lifting your hips toward the ceiling while keeping the legs straight. Then 鈥渨alk鈥� your hands forward until they鈥檙e directly under the shoulders and you鈥檙e in plank position again. Repeat.
4. Single-Arm Plank: Keeping your core stable, , and then extend it out in front of you. Lower your palm back to floor, directly under the shoulder, and repeat on the left. Continue alternating sides throughout your hold.
5. Plank Up-Down: Keeping your core stable, lower your right forearm to the floor, with your right elbow directly under your shoulder. , switch sides, and repeat on left. Continue alternating sides throughout your hold.

Scale It Down

If you鈥檙e looking to make your planks a little easier, simply drop from your toes to your knees and/or from your palms to your forearms. 鈥淭his reduces the force of gravity working against you. Just make sure that your hips stay as extended as they would be if your legs were straight, and keep your entire core engaged,鈥� Alexander says.

听

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All the outdoor听access听in the world doesn't mean much if your job keeps you chained to a desk with no time to enjoy it. So to find听the best places to work in the U.S. in 2015 and 2016, we听started by creating five company听categories that reflect 国产吃瓜黑料's听values and focus: Gear, 国产吃瓜黑料 &听Travel, Wellness, Culture, and Advertising.听We then conducted a rigorous vetting process in partnership with the and asked employees to review factors like corporate culture, policies and perks, role satisfaction, work听environment, and overall employee engagement.听The Best Places to Work list represents the cream of the crop鈥攃ompanies that听empower听their employees to live bigger, better lives.

The Best 国产吃瓜黑料 and听Travel Jobs of 2015

Coordinating trips and tours for other people doesn鈥檛 always translate to an adventurous life for the person doing the planning, but these companies go above and beyond to ensure their workers have every opportunity to unplug, ditch the desk, and enjoy themselves.

That could mean subsidizing trips to national parks, instituting snow days when there鈥檚 fresh powder on the mountain, offering staff day trips, or simply locating the office in a place with easy access to awesome activities. If you want a job that gets you outdoors, these are the companies for you.

1. Zozi鈥�

Location: San Francisco, California
Number of Employees: 67

With views from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge and a sprawling headquarters set next to San Francisco hot spot Pier 39, is an attractive place to spend 40 hours a week. The company is an online-booking software company for tour, activity, and event providers in 90 countries.

But CEO and founder TJ Sassani鈥檚 鈥渘o politics鈥� policy is what separates this company from the rest. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 allow any posturing or positioning by people trying to move up in the ranks,鈥� says Sassani, who founded Zozi in 2010 and counts Sir Richard Branson among his investors. 鈥淚f we keep that culture intact, people don鈥檛 want to maneuver around others. They just want to do a good job and support their coworkers.鈥�

Staffers also like the lunchtime patio yoga, the company running club, the $400 per quarter in 鈥淶ozi credits鈥� to book travel or buy discounted gear from the likes of The North Face and GoPro, and the $1,000 annual professional development budget. Zozi also pays for its employees鈥� cellphones and gym memberships, hosts in-house educational events such as photography workshops, and arranges free chair massages every other week.

2.听AmeriCan 国产吃瓜黑料s

Location: Santa Rosa, California
Number of Employees: 27

Already boasting one of the best benefits packages in the travel business, plans to introduce another employee perk this year: Visit any national park in the United States听and get $500 and five extra paid days off. 鈥淎ll they need to do is come back with a receipt from the park,鈥� says Matt Berna, general manager at AmeriCan.

AmeriCan is a continental outfitter founded in 1988 that offers trips ranging from seven days in the Southwest to a three-week cross-country journey in search of Americana. The list of staff sweeteners also includes a familiarization trip covered by the company when you start (think tracking wolves in Yellowstone or camping in Alaska); access to the 鈥渇ree table,鈥� where guides dump all their extra supplies after a trip; weekly table tennis and cornhole tournaments; and two extra days off in December, January, and February, when work slows down.

Employees also get $2,000 to spend on industry-related education, as well as five days of paid education leave for student-employees to prep for exams or work on big papers, for example. AmeriCan does its part to help nonemployees by donating extra sleeping bags to local missions in California鈥檚 Sonoma Valley or fundraising for multiple sclerosis research via the company cycling team.

3. Ecology Project International

Location: Missoula, Montana
Number of Employees: 28

A handful of days every spring, Scott Pankratz kayaks to work in Missoula. No joke. The co-founder and executive director of (EPI) walks out of his house and over to Rattlesnake Creek, two miles outside town. He paddles the creek down to where it meets the Clark Fork River, which he then takes right to his office. Each day he does it, he earns 50 cents in commuter reimbursement from the company. That鈥檚 not all the river has to offer EPI employees.

鈥淩ight in front of our office, some people created a standing river wave a couple years ago, so you can head out on a lunch break and surf,鈥� Pankratz says. The organization also owns ten inner tubes and uses them to hold half-mile float meetings on the river in summer. 鈥淲e call them water coolers,鈥� Pankratz says.

EPI, which was founded in 2000 to get local youths active in conservation by connecting them with area field scientists in five countries鈥擟osta Rica, Mexico, Belize, Ecuador (the Galapagos), and the United States鈥攁lso pays for employee familiarization trips to, say, study whales in the Sea of Cortez alongside the program鈥檚 participants. 鈥淲ithin two years of working here, most of our employees have traveled internationally,鈥� Pankratz says.

4. Cloud 9 Living

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Number of Employees: 16

It鈥檚 a fact of life that there is nothing worse than being stuck at the office on a deep powder day. So , a ten-year-old firm that sells 鈥渆xperience gifts鈥� in 51 cities nationwide ranging from Ferrari racing to whitewater rafting, enacted a policy: If any resort within a two-hour drive from company headquarters in Boulder reports 15 inches of fresh snow, you can take the day off, no questions asked. 鈥淏ut only if you鈥檙e going to go play in the snow,鈥� clarifies Bobby Augst, executive vice president at Cloud 9.

Similarly, whenever employees go above and beyond their job responsibility, they get a 鈥渉all pass,鈥� a half-day off to use anytime they want, provided they give 24 hours鈥� notice.

The entire company takes one day each quarter to go zip-lining or snowmobiling or hot-air ballooning鈥攚hat Augst calls 鈥渆xperience days鈥濃�攖o familiarize staff with the gifts they sell. Cloud 9 also supports its staff鈥檚 personal adventures and passions; last year, the firm bought World Series tickets for a diehard Kansas City Royals fan. 鈥淚f a unique opportunity presents itself to an employee,鈥� Augst says, 鈥渨e鈥檒l do what we can to enable that dream.鈥�

5. Geographic Expeditions

Location: San Francisco, California
Number of Employees: 55

If you like to explore hard-to-reach places, why not work for a travel company that specializes in doing just that? Founded in 1982, , which offers trips in more than 70 countries鈥攂ut none in North America or Europe (its top two destinations currently are Cuba and Iran)鈥攃ounts on its staff to suss out locations. 鈥淥ur [research and development] consists of sending our people out into the field,鈥� CEO JP Tennant says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 probably not shocking at all that they love that.鈥�

Additionally, employees take advantage of twice-weekly in-house yoga classes, a cocktail cart that periodically appears in the office, and a worksite in Presidio National Park on San Francisco Bay that affords remarkable out-the-door adventure opportunities. You鈥檒l find staffers running the famous Lyon Street stairs, trail running along the ocean and then into Presidio, or kitesurfing within walking distance of their desks.

6. Geocaching

Location: Seattle, Washington
Number of Employees: 78

Before founding the company that would one day guide 10 million users around the world toward 2.7 million mini-treasure chests, Jeremy Irish, Elias Alvord, and Bryan Roth used to ski and snowboard together. They didn鈥檛 want their adventures to end as their business grew, so among many employee policies that embody 鈥檚 鈥渨e play where we work鈥� mantra, this one stands out: Bring in your lift ticket from a day on the slopes, anywhere in the world, lessons included, and the company will reimburse you. 鈥淎fter hitting the mountain, you come back, your head is clear, you feel free,鈥� Roth says, explaining how the company benefits.

Located in Seattle鈥檚 tech-heavy Fremont neighborhood on the 27-mile Burke-Gilman Trail, Geocaching drives revenue by selling premium memberships, geocaching-related gear, and GeoTours (like a guide to 50 caches around Mount Rainier to keep you busy all weekend). Employee benefits also include free catered lunches four days a week, a 鈥渒eg squad鈥� of five who keep the office kegerator flowing with fresh craft beer, meetings on Lake Union, and a requirement that each employee spend at least a few hours of work time each month geocaching.

7. Montana Wilderness Association

Location: Helena, Montana
Number of Employees: 23

If you like spending time on the trail and getting paid for it, you might like working for the , which was founded in 1958 and helps preserve the state鈥檚 wilderness heritage. Not only can you work as a trail steward or U.S. Forest Service liaison on, for example, the Continental Divide Trail, but the employee handbook mandates that every employee have access to personal 鈥渢rail days.鈥�

That means 鈥測ou can call up your supervisor and say, 鈥業 need to spend one, two, three, or four days out there to really get to know this place,鈥欌�� says Gabe Furshong, the nonprofit鈥檚 deputy executive director. No catch. Fully paid. 鈥淲e work really hard to protect wild places,鈥� Furshong explains, 鈥渂ut we expect our staff to cultivate personal connections to wild places, too.鈥� They can do that while being based in the Helena headquarters or one of eight field offices.

There鈥檚 also an annual four-day staff backpacking trip each August and what Furshong calls 鈥渢he best sabbatical policy I鈥檝e ever seen in a nonprofit鈥�: three months of fully paid leave after five years of employment.

8. Hawaii Forest & Trail

Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Number of Employees: 50

Rob Pacheco founded , which leads nature tours on Hawaii鈥檚 Big Island, in 1993. It took three years before he could hire a full-time employee, but it says something that the first person he hired鈥攁s well as the first full-time guide he hired鈥攊s still working for the company. The outfitter has since grown to employ 50 guides and entertain roughly 55,000 guests each year, many of whom take in the sunset from the 13,796-foot summit of Mauna Kea, the most popular tour among the ten Pacheco offers.

In addition to offering a learning stipend for staffers to build their knowledge, the company provides health insurance (rare in the Hawaiian tourism industry) and comps passes for various outdoor tours. At the end of each year, employees can tally one percent of their annual hours to use as paid leave on a volunteer project such as a trail-work day. And if you鈥檙e a guide, your on-the-clock duties include familiarizing yourself with routes and local flora and fauna (tours also include rare-bird watching and waterfall hikes). 鈥淭he natural history of this place is remarkable,鈥� Pacheco says. 鈥淔rom an evolutionary standpoint, it鈥檚 on par with the Galapagos.鈥�

9. G 国产吃瓜黑料s

Location: Toronto, Ontario
Number of Employees: 15

鈥淥ur business model is rooted in happiness,鈥� says Dave Holmes, 鈥渕ayor鈥� (aka the man who runs the show) of Toronto-based travel outfitter , which offers small-group trips in more than 100 countries. Those roots came from Bhutan, where company founder Bruce Poon Tip visited in 1997. Poon Tip was amazed by the way locals viewed their success鈥攏ot according to gross domestic product, but gross national happiness. He aimed to cultivate a similar culture in his business.

As such, status is downplayed at G, where CEO stands for 鈥渃hief experience officer,鈥� a fancy term for tour guide. Holmes describes G, which was founded in 1990 and now operates worldwide, as a 鈥渃ustomer-obsessed company.鈥� But it鈥檚 also a fun place to earn a paycheck. Staff at the Toronto headquarters enjoy a rooftop 鈥減artio鈥� with hammocks and Wi-Fi to work outside; free ice cream; 鈥淏eer鈥橭鈥機lock鈥� every Friday at 4 p.m., when fridges are filled with beer, wine, and cider; transit and gym reimbursement; and an annual $2,000 allowance to put toward a trip offered by the company, plus another $750 for airfare. The crowning perk is always an invitation to G Stock, a weeklong internal team-building conference that culminates with three days at Niagara Falls and an outrageous costume party.

10. Avid4 国产吃瓜黑料

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Number of Employees: 15

A heavy seasonal workload isn鈥檛 for everyone, but if you can handle the busy times, affords unusual freedom the rest of the year. The Boulder-based outdoor summer camp operator offers its year-round employees unlimited time off as long as they get their work done during the summer high season.

鈥淲e kind of stole that from the tech sector,鈥� chief operating officer Kyle Littman says. 鈥淲e believe in quality of work rather than creating a nine-to-five schedule for everyone.鈥� The company, which was founded in 2004, also offers camps in the San Francisco Bay Area and programs at local schools during the rest of the year, ranging from mobile climbing walls to mountain-bike skills courses. Altogether, Littman estimates Avid4 serves nearly 20,000 kids each year.

Other employee perks include in-house bike mechanics; a gear warehouse full of tents, paddleboards, and the like for staff; and annual 鈥渁nniversary gifts鈥� for employees ranging from $600 to round-trip airfare and a stipend to spend a month anywhere in the world, plus an additional $1,000 to put toward an adventure of your choosing (that鈥檚 only if you鈥檝e worked there ten years).

The Best Gear Jobs of 2015

Gear companies are never too far from the cutting edge鈥攁nd not only with regard to the products they design and manufacture. Many are at the forefront of workplace innovations and employee perks.

Product testing gives workers an excuse to get out and have fun, and the nature of the work means creating items that serve and satisfy individual customers鈥攚hich makes for a fulfilling job.

1.听Ergodyne

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Number of Employees: 43

is housed in a converted railway repair shop in St. Paul,听a fitting place for a company that builds protective gear for workers in transportation, construction, and manufacturing. The now-modern headquarters inspires creativity with wall graphics of Einstein and Edison and a dedicated product-testing center. And it鈥檚 as much a bastion of fitness as it is tech, thanks to an in-house gym, standing desks, and an annual office-wide 5K race.

Frequent wellness challenges involving weight听lifting, running, and stress听reduction encourage the company鈥檚 engineers and designers to eat healthier and work out more鈥攁nd听then reward them with cash bonuses. Other office perks include: NFL kickoff parties, summer half-day Fridays, and Minnesota-themed happy hours, complete with Salted Nut Rolls and local beer.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a collaborative, creative environment, with music playing all day [via Spotify], people wearing workout clothes, and leadership with open doors,鈥� says Lindsay Herda, associate marketing director at听Ergodyne. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a place where people want to get to work.鈥�

2. Stance

Location: San Clemente, California
Number of Employees: 130

launched in 2009 with one goal: to shake up the sock market with forward-thinking, artist-driven designs. That creative business strategy bled into the work environment. The company, which has been known to sell a 鈥減air鈥� of three socks (in case you lose one), rewards unorthodox thinking. Its team of ambassadors, who contribute design ideas and are called Punks and Poets, includes NBA players, pro surfers and skaters, filmmakers, and Rihanna.

鈥淲hen we looked at the sock landscape, there wasn鈥檛 a clear leader,鈥� says John Wilson, president and co-founder of听Stance. 鈥淲e chose the name Stance because by definition, it can be a point of a view, a posture, but it can also be a form of expression.鈥�

The San Clemente headquarters constitute another form of expression, with retrofitted shipping containers that serve as offices and a Zio Ziegler mural above the basketball court. The office also features a skate bowl, table tennis, a golf simulator, and a full gym staffed with a personal trainer. Cold-brew Stumptown Coffee pours from a tap, and a chef whips up two meals a day for employees. The beach is ten听minutes away.

鈥淚f you need to go surf at lunch because the waves are good or go ride your mountain bike, do that,鈥� says Wilson. 鈥淥ur culture is about freedom and accountability.鈥�

3.听United by Blue

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Number of Employees: 25

launched five years ago as a T-shirt company with a philanthropic mission. Founder and 鈥淐hief Trash Collector鈥� Brian Linton wanted to remove one pound of garbage from waterways and oceans for every shirt sold. And he wanted to do this not by writing checks to nonprofits听but听by organizing the cleanups himself. Five years later, the company, which has expanded beyond T-shirts into handcrafted apparel and items for the home and outdoors, has picked up more than听250,000 pounds of waste in 22 states. In fact, when customers buy United by Blue鈥檚 organic-cotton tote bags or bison-down socks, they can volunteer for a cleanup.

鈥淭he idea was to create a brand built for people living in an urban environment who enjoy the outdoors but also to have a direct tie to conservation and be a catalyst for change,鈥� says Mike Cangi, co-founder and vice president of the company.

In 2013, United by Blue opened a flagship store (complete with a coffeehouse with fancy donuts) in Philadelphia鈥檚 Old City neighborhood,听with office headquarters upstairs. Today听there are three UBB stores, and its products are sold in more than 400 retail locations. It also employs 25 people, nearly all of whom are younger than 30. The whole staff pitches in on cleanups. Their reward: themed potluck lunches, quarterly meetings held at campsites, and access to the shops鈥� DIY workshops to learn skills including kombucha brewing, bookbinding, or terrarium making.

4. SmartWool

鈥�

Location: Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Number of Employees: 65

Wool used to be thought of as itchy and uncomfortable. Then, cozy, plush merino came along and revolutionized the sock and base-layer industries. , which started in Steamboat Springs听in 1994, was an early leader听in this space, selling soft merino socks to skiers. Today, the company offers a full line of merino apparel.

Working at SmartWool means playing like a ski bum while having a real job. The company buys season passes to the Steamboat Ski Area for all 65 employees, encourages听bike commuting with cash bonuses, mandates a powder day whenever it snows more than six inches, and gives employees 40 hours of paid leave for community service. On summer Fridays, the office closes at 3 p.m. and the president leads a group road bike ride.

There鈥檚 plenty of friendly competition, be it a battle between departments, a Ping-Pong tournament, or a costumed race on staff ski day. Each June, SmartWool stages a monthlong Ironman race, and the winner is whoever logs the most swimming, running, and biking hours during the 30 days.

5.听Eagle Creek

Location: Carlsbad, California
Number of Employees: 47

Live, work, and travel are the three pillars luggage-maker was founded on. The mission applies both to its durable duffels and its 48 employees. Based ten minutes from the beach in Carlsbad, Eagle Creek encourages its staff to test products on weekend adventures, has an in-house meditation room, and offers employees funds for Kiva microloans to support small businesses around the world.

鈥淭ravel is more than just going from point A to point B,鈥� says Roger Spatz, president of听Eagle Creek. 鈥淲e try to look at the whole experience and make sure we鈥檙e providing solutions for all types of trips.鈥�

Employees get five paid days off for service projects, and the company holds a staff-wide local trail and beach cleanup twice annually. Other perks include an on-site gym and showers and a monthly pie day. This year, the company focused on personal development to celebrate its 40th anniversary, offering leadership training and hiring speakers to coach teams on efficiency. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a casual environment, but we hold each other accountable,鈥� says Spatz, who often wears a T-shirt and shorts to the office.

6. Superfeet

Location: Ferndale, Washington
Number of Employees: 102

At Ferndale, Washington鈥揵ased , which makes over-the-counter custom insoles for your shoes, you鈥檙e not just an employee. You鈥檙e a partial owner of the company. In July, the brand announced a 100 percent employee听stock-ownership plan, which means all 102 staffers now get a chunk of the business. 鈥淵ou work here听and you get part of the company,鈥� says Eric Hayes, vice president of marketing and product at Superfeet. 鈥淭hat changes the dynamic inside the building. People take responsibility because this is their company, too.鈥�

Superfeet launched in 1977 as the brainchild of a podiatrist and an inventor who wanted to make orthotics affordable and accessible. Putting people鈥攁nd their feet鈥攆irst has been a company motto since day one. 鈥淚t鈥檚 refreshing to sit in an executive meeting and have the question be, 鈥楬ow is this going to affect the people?鈥欌�� says Hayes.

One percent of revenue goes to nonprofits, and employees get two days of paid leave for service projects. Comic troupes show up for Friday happy hours, and the office includes a video game room, volleyball court, and Ping-Pong table.

7.听Petzl

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Number of Employees: 56

Established in France in 1975 by caver and inventor Fernand Petzl and his sons, opened its first tiny U.S. outpost in Utah in 1999. The gear it built for exploring dark caverns (nylon ropes, ascenders, headlamps) also听proved useful to climbers and mountaineers, and later for people in construction, search and rescue, and firefighting. The company grew, but its mission stayed the same.

Today, Petzl employs 56 people and is headquartered in a custom-built LEED-certified office in Salt Lake City, just 20 minutes from the slopes in Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. It听also has a bouldering area and a 55-foot-high climbing wall.

鈥淭he company culture at Petzl is aptly described by the saying听鈥楾ype A people in Type B clothing,鈥欌�� says Dave Hugar, marketing director at听Petzl. 鈥淐asual dress allows employees to easily transition between their stand-up desks and activities such as on-site yoga or bouldering or whatever their dawn or dusk patrol mission might be.鈥�

The staff gets discounted ski passes, a loaner gear closet, and ample paid time off (after five years, employees get 24 days off per year). The听Fun Committee plans workday diversions, and most staffers can work from home one day per week to reduce commuting costs.

8.听Toad&Co.

Location: Santa Barbara, California
Number of Employees: 75

Last January, after more than 20 years in business, apparel maker Horny Toad changed its name to . 鈥淲e felt like the company had shifted and evolved,鈥� says Sarah Matt, marketing听director at Toad&Co. 鈥淲e wanted to carry forward the heritage of Toad听but attach it to something that tells a bigger story about the company we keep.鈥�

The company got its start in 1991听making hand-knit hats out of a garage in Telluride. Since then, it听moved to Chicago, then back West, finally settling in its current Santa Barbara听location. The headquarters is housed in an old college library with ocean views and nearby hiking trails.

While the name and location has changed, the company culture hasn鈥檛. The laid-back staff of 75 takes group camping trips, hosts grilled-cheese smackdowns, and preps rosemary-infused cocktails on Friday afternoons. Community service has also become an integral part of the company鈥檚 identity: Employees work with adults with disabilities, volunteer at soup kitchens, and rebuild bikes.

9. Sphero

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Number of Employees: 92

Robotics developer is, in many ways, a toy company. Its Boulder听headquarters are packed with Xbox stations, Frisbee golf, Nerf guns, and an electric car that staffers drive down the halls. An ice cream truck delivers free scoops.

But the work is serious. Born from a tech startup accelerator program in 2011, Sphero makes toys that consumers control with their smartphones. 鈥淒o you want to just have fun at work or do the greatest work in your life? Here you can do both,鈥� says Rob Maigret, chief creative听officer听at Sphero. 鈥淭he goal of our company is to put a robot in every single house. But instead of creating a utility robot that vacuums or does surveillance, we build robots based on entertainment and fun.鈥�

All 92 employees鈥攁nimators, coders, and designers鈥攁re encouraged to be bold and unorthodox. Employees get flexible work hours and win awards for creative thinking at weekly staff lunches. And it鈥檚 not just fun and games: An educational edition of the company鈥檚听signature teaches kids how to code, and the company runs coding seminars at local schools. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to disrupt the toy industry,鈥� says Maigret. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 be afraid to break the rules, so we want to create an environment where that feels okay.鈥�

Another nice touch: To celebrate the release of its latest product, BB-8,听a Star Wars鈥�edition robot with an interactive personality,听Sphero rented a Boulder movie theater for the team to watch the upcoming Star Wars flick.

10.听Spyderco

Location: Golden, Colorado
Number of Employees: 90

Family-owned since the 1970s, knife听maker has maintained a work environment that feels small and tight-knit. Founder Sal Glesser, who started the company selling knife sharpeners out of a converted bread truck, roams the halls, while his son, Eric, heads the R&D arm. The staff of 90 is close, thanks to regular staff-wide gatherings. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not making toilet seats,鈥� says Eric Glesser. 鈥淥ur products are something everyone can take pride in.鈥�

Now known for its ergonomically听designed folding knives, Spyderco鈥檚 blades have become collector鈥檚 items and are听loved by butchers, ranchers, and envelope听openers alike.

From its location in Golden, in the foothills outside Denver, employees get out for midday trail runs and paddles on the whitewater park downtown. The company also covers gym memberships and regular fruit deliveries. 鈥淭hrough the years, we could have moved to a different location to save money,鈥� says Glesser, 鈥渂ut we would have lost the culture of the place.鈥�

The Best Advertising Jobs: 2015

Looking over our collection of best听advertising companies, it鈥檚 clear that they get the correlation between creative inspiration and time spent outdoors. Each company encourages employees to get out鈥攖o the slopes, streams, trails, and wave breaks鈥攁nd some go so far as to offer workers stipends for adventure trips and gear.

Another aspect these businesses have in common is the goal of fostering camaraderie鈥攖hrough on-site 鈥減lay鈥� areas, staff bike rides and runs, game nights, happy hours, and other fun group activities. For companies that foster ingenuity and build strong relationships among co-workers, look no further.

1. GroundFloor Media

Location: Denver, Colorado
Number of Employees: 15

Ramonna Robinson, president of in Denver, has spent a lot of time thinking about how to make her team of public relations specialists collaborate and gel. 鈥淭he key is being intentional about it,鈥� she says. 鈥淭he office itself fosters some of that鈥攅verybody has a door, but nobody has a wall that goes to the ceiling, so all the offices are open.鈥�

When employees aren鈥檛 in their individual offices, they鈥檙e clustered around a big communal table (conveniently next to the office kegerator) or on beanbags in the 鈥減lay room.鈥� On top of that, GroundFloor fosters teamwork with ski trips to the Rockies, hiking and paddleboarding clubs, and company-wide volunteer days.

GroundFloor, which was founded in 2001, offers strategic communications and crisis management services to companies big and small, but Robinson says the traditional business world sounds daunting to her now. 鈥淲e kind of joke that we鈥檙e unemployable now,鈥� Robinson says. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if I can ever wear business clothes in the future or not run off to rock climb at lunch.鈥�

2.听Drake Cooper

Location: Boise, Idaho
Number of Employees: 39

The primary goal of Jamie Cooper, CEO of Boise-based ad firm , is fostering a positive work culture. But culture isn鈥檛 just 鈥渓ets have some fun at work鈥� or 鈥渓et鈥檚 make it pleasant,鈥� Cooper says. 鈥淚f people are interested in just these benefits, that鈥檚 not who we want. Drake Cooper is for the ambitious.鈥�

The execs at Drake Cooper trust their creatives and directors to work long hours (when they have to). In return, the office is dog friendly, and people can collaborate around the beer fridge or take a meeting while biking through Boise鈥檚 nearby greenbelt. Another perk: Employees and management make the effort to ensure PTO is actually time off鈥攊f possible, email and calls are banned when an employee is out.

But the company, which was founded in 1978 and specializes in producing ads that build clients鈥� brands, is not the kind of place where anyone can show up whenever they want and drink beer during the day. It鈥檚 the kind of place, Cooper says, where hardworking ad people earn the right to show up a little late or have a beer after working extra hours to knock a client鈥檚 socks off. 鈥淲e all agree to this handshake contract with each other that we鈥檙e going to work hard and play hard,鈥� Cooper says.

3.听Spawn Ideas

Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Number of Employees: 41

鈥淲hen I moved to Alaska 17 years ago, what I was impressed with here is that people care more about what you do for recreation than what you do for work,鈥� says Karen King, CEO of Anchorage-based ad agency .

It鈥檚 not surprising, then, that King tries to make sure her team of creative directors, marketers, and social media managers can spend as much time outdoors as possible: Spawn-ers get $250 a year to cover outdoorsy expenditures like gear and race entrance fees; summer Fridays are short to take advantage of the long, long Alaska days; and company-wide outings involve trips to the local trampoline gymnasium. The office even comes equipped with sweeping views of the Cook Inlet.

Spawn, which has operated under various names since 1975, is a full-service agency with clients in everything from retail to health to tourism. But the firm鈥檚 dedication to a healthy lifestyle doesn鈥檛 just involve the outdoors: New parents are now encouraged to take their babies to work, and the sound of toddlers stomping through the office is becoming the norm. 鈥淲hen a baby is walking around the office on a crazy day, everybody loves it,鈥� King says.

4. CauseLabs

Location: Denver, Colorado
Number of Employees: 17

may be small鈥攖he Denver-based tech company has fewer than 20 employees鈥攂ut its coders and execs are spread all around the globe. The challenge for the firm, which provides high-tech help in the form of apps and social media guidance to nonprofits and other do-gooders, is to maintain an esprit de corps for a staff that meets mostly via Skype. 鈥淎fter we鈥檙e done with a project, we can鈥檛 always go out for drinks,鈥� says Sheryle Gillihan, director of partnerships.

Instead, the company, founded in 2003, works to build community with daily staff calls (called huddles) where everyone can not only discuss work but also play quirky games and ask off-the-wall questions to get to know each other better. 鈥淪ometimes we鈥檒l say, 鈥楾oday is a walking huddle: Everybody take your Skype mobile,鈥� and the team will work while getting in a nice walk,鈥� Gillihan says. Also on the list are care packages for far-flung developers, reward boxes filled with things like gift certificates for good work, and a yearly all-hands-on-deck retreat in Colorado that includes an all-day hackathon and bagging at least one fourteener.

5.听Young & Laramore

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Number of Employees: 43

Advertising firm works out of a 1920s schoolhouse at the convergence of two bike paths right in downtown Indy. The agency, which was founded in 1982 and does print, digital, and TV ads for the likes of Stanley Steemer and Steak 鈥檔 Shake, gutted the inside of the shuttered elementary school, added some large pieces of artwork, and created an open floor plan. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not a door in this entire space,鈥� says creative director Bryan Judkins. The building is, according to the readers of Inc., 鈥渙ne of the world鈥檚 coolest offices.鈥�

Another plus: enough shower and locker room space to accommodate even the smelliest of bicycle commuters. The halls of Young & Laramore are also so dog friendly that the creatives have taken to calling the shop 鈥淭ongue & Wagamore.鈥� But the schoolhouse theme ends on Thursdays, when everyone meets for beer鈥攑rovided by client Upland Brewing Co.鈥攁nd showcases recent work.

6. Nemo Design

Location: Portland, Oregon
Number of Employees: 38

The principals of have street cred. They include OGs of snowboard photography, board graphic design, and the alternative zine scene, including Jeff Bartel, Trevor Graves, and Mark Lewman. As such, working at the Portland-based design agency鈥攚hich has created ad campaigns for big names like Nike and Converse since its founding in 1999鈥攊ncludes perks like the 鈥淣emo Nooner,鈥� where once a week the firm rents out an indoor skate park for lunch, invites whoever they feel like, and blows off steam on the ramps and rails.

The company鈥檚 downtown Portland offices are just a few blocks from the Willamette River, and since the agency counts powerboat manufacturer MasterCraft as a client, evenings are often spent cruising on the company boat. 鈥淲e want to feel like we鈥檙e on summer vacation,鈥� says principal Mark Lewman. 鈥淲e work really hard, but it should be for something fun and rewarding. It鈥檚 like the Mark Twain quote: 鈥業f it feels like play, it鈥檚 not really work.鈥欌��

7. The Trade Desk

Location: Ventura, California
Number of Employees: 217

鈥淚 think the millennial generation may be our greatest working generation,鈥� says Jeff Green, CEO and founder of . 鈥淏ut in order to motivate them, you have to give them a sense of meaning and purpose.鈥�

The Southern听California-based Trade Desk, which was founded in 2009, is pioneering a new model of online advertising by helping agencies buy and manage display and social media campaigns online. Trade Desk鈥檚 offices are a few blocks from world-class surf, and the CTO has a telescope in his office offering a prime view of conditions. The office also offers surfboard storage, balance boards to relieve stress, and even the occasional taco party. Green says the focus on the outdoors and the environment is key to how employees stay happy. 鈥淭he engineer who could easily write code 12 hours a day will have a better life and better job satisfaction if I encourage him to go hiking,鈥� he says.

8. TDA_Boulder

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Number of Employees: 23

Thomas Dooley, founder and CEO of advertising agency , has a problem with titles. 鈥淚s an 鈥榓ccount executive鈥� better than someone else? I have no idea. I screw it up all the time,鈥� he says. Formal titles aren鈥檛 the kind of thing that matters in this Boulder ad shop, where Dooley is so sick of the hierarchy that desks are assigned at random鈥攏o cushy office for the executives!鈥攁nd employees are encouraged to sit with whomever they鈥檙e working with that day.

The agency, founded in 1989, does everything from TV ads to logo redesign and packaging. In addition to the kind of perks one could expect from the number ten place to work on our list (indoor soccer teams, kegs of beer, summer and winter outdoor trips), TDA_Boulder is an S corporation, so profits are divvied up in the form of employee bonuses each year to the tune of 10 to 20 percent of base salary.

9.听Pellucid Analytics

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Number of Employees: 20

鈥淭here鈥檚 a really strong orientation around performance and hard work here,鈥� says Cate Colburn-Smith, vice president of marketing at , as a burst of cheers cuts her off. 鈥淪orry,鈥� she laughs, 鈥渢here鈥檚 a board-game lunch going on in the background.鈥�

Pellucid鈥檚 work is intensive鈥攖he company helps financial firms make data visual鈥搇aden pitchbooks for all manner of deals鈥攂ut bosses are doing everything they can to nurture an exciting office community. Every other week, the startup, founded in 2011, holds Board Game Friday where lunch devolves into competitive gaming, and there are constant table tennis tournaments, an indoor soccer team, powder days, and more. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the first place I鈥檝e worked where fun really happens in the workplace and it鈥檚 OK,鈥� Colburn-Smith says. 鈥淏ut the fun and games is balanced by a really high caliber of employee.鈥�

10. BrainStorm

Location: American Fork, Utah
Number of Employees: 48

Fun is so critical to 鈥檚 office culture, the Utah-based software education firm has a committee of staffers dedicated to it. 鈥淓verybody gets busy, and you forget to do the fun stuff,鈥� says Kaylyn Laws, who does marketing for the firm. 鈥淪o, randomly the Culture Club will be like, 鈥楬ey, we鈥檙e playing dodgeball right now. Get in this room.鈥欌�� The fun includes bimonthly company-wide outings鈥攑revious excursions included bubble soccer and a local amusement park鈥攁nd more casual affairs like lunches over a game of Rock Band.

But the firm, which was founded in 1995 and helps train people how to use software, also empowers its workers to give back. Each month, all 65 employees are given $50 to donate to anyone in need鈥攁 group of employees, for example, recently pooled their money to put together a care package for a client who had undergone surgery鈥攁nd during the holidays, everybody gets an extra $100 to donate where they please. 鈥淧eople who have an opportunity to serve are actually happier,鈥� Laws says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the philosophy we鈥檙e coming form.鈥�

The Best Culture Jobs of 2015

Half of what makes a life of office work more enjoyable is where the office is located鈥攖wo blocks from the ski lift, close to world-class singletrack, in a town with dozens of craft breweries.

The top companies on our Culture list understand this and have established themselves in some of the country鈥檚 most understated hubs of outdoor recreation while听giving their workers plenty of incentives to stick around.

1. New Belgium Brewing

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Number of Employees: 640

Earning a spot on this list in听seven of the past eight years, the who bring us Fat Tire have mastered the art of on-the-job happiness. Free beer helps, but true work satisfaction stems from the fact that the company is 100 percent employee听owned. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the feeling here that you don鈥檛 work for a corporation.听You work for each other,鈥� says Jenny Briggs, human resources director at New Belgium. 鈥淲hen you care about those relationships, it creates a virtuous cycle.鈥�

That cycle includes donating $792,095 to watershed conservation, sensible transportation, sustainable agriculture, and other eco-friendly projects and contributing 2,517 volunteer hours to nonprofits in 2014. But charity starts at home: The company built an off-site health听care center for employees and their families, and workers get paid time off for contributions to nonprofits.听

The brewery鈥檚 main grounds feel like a college campus, with outdoor volleyball courts, a cyclocross track, and a new gear shed where toys like stand-up paddleboards are checked out for the weekend. It鈥檚 no wonder New Belgium鈥檚 640听workers include ultramarathoners, competitive surfers, and one dude, , who skateboarded across Iowa.听

It pays to stick around: One year on the job earns an employee a new cruiser bike; five years earns a free trip to Belgium; and ten years wins a worker a four-week paid sabbatical. Sound good? New Belgium is now hiring for its new brewery on the site of a renovated stockyard in Asheville, North Carolina, opening in early 2016. 听

2. CCY Architects

Location: Basalt, Colorado
Number of Employees: 26

Over 30听years ago, Basalt-based designed Obermeyer Headquarters in Aspen, which听at the time was the largest passively heated building in the country. Sustainability is still at the core of the firm, except today the staff designs in 3D and uses a cutting-edge energy-modeling program that calculates a project鈥檚 energy efficiency down to the amount and type of glass it uses.

鈥淲e are moving our products and practice toward net-zero architecture,鈥� says Rich Carr, firm听partner. With the ambitious goal to build structures that produce as much energy as they consume, it鈥檚 only natural that CCY employees need to blow off steam, which is easy to do in the Roaring Fork Valley. 听

鈥淲e鈥檙e in Basalt, which allows people to afford housing, raise a family, and be at the hub of all kinds of different activities,鈥� says Carr, adding that he just got dropped on a lunchtime road ride. The firm鈥檚 annual employee wellness package can go toward anything from an Aspen Mountain ski pass to weekly yoga classes to kayaking lessons. CCY also offers an education fund for art classes or whatever employees need to keep their creativity thriving. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a real self-motivating place,鈥� says Carr. 鈥淲e give employees the freedom and trust to make the work happen.鈥澨�

3.听Charles Cunniffe Architects

Location: Aspen, Colorado听
Number of Employees: 17

This makes bold statements with its听buildings. Case in point: It鈥檚 currently designing the K2 Ranch, a 15,000-square-foot Colorado home that鈥檚 entirely sustainable, with an array of photovoltaic solar collectors and a full geothermal system. 听

鈥淭he K2 Ranch is a large house with a lot of bells and whistles, but it could be totally off the grid,鈥� says founder Charles Cunniffe. 鈥淲e have high ethical standards based on lifelong learning, education, innovation, and fun.鈥澨�

Cunniffe extends听that ethos into his own downtown office, where employees can use their free bus passes to get to work, then use the company car or bike to make site visits to their local听clients, the majority of which are local. The office environment is fast-paced听but fun, with an always-on espresso machine, an open-door policy, and flexible hours so employees don鈥檛 feel guilty for ducking out to watch a kid鈥檚 basketball game or attend a meeting for a nonprofit like River Bridge, an advocacy center for abused kids that Cunniffe co-founded. Powder days, however, are reserved for skiing.听

鈥淥ur office is two blocks from the Aspen Mountain gondola,鈥� says Cunniffe. 鈥淥ur clients understand our work-play ethic, and we expect our people to ski on a powder day.鈥澨�

4. C1S Group

Location: Dallas, Texas
Number of Employees: 22

The goal of this engineering and听 is to take existing commercial buildings and make them better. 鈥淲e want to retool them, make them environmentally friendly, and get rid of the outdated colors and carpets that mentally drag you down,鈥� says CEO Julie Strong, who owns the company with her husband, Matt. At Frito-Lay headquarters in Plano, Texas, for example, C1S renovated the commercial kitchen, designed a solar thermal water-heating system, and completed a toilet renovation design, among other upgrades.听

To keep their engineers and builders from burning out, the Strongs offer 鈥渃ollaboration stations鈥� in the office, where employees can stand up for a quick face-to-face meeting. And after workers wrap a particularly brutal project, they鈥檙e rewarded with generous comp time. 听鈥淚f we say we want you to take 15 days off, it means you need that time off,鈥� says Strong. There are also happy hours on the house, annual crawfish boils, a running club, and service projects like retooling an old building into a tech center for underserved kids in the Dallas area, and then volunteering to听staff听it.听

鈥淲e get a charge out of what we do,鈥� says Strong. 鈥淏ut life鈥檚 too short to work all the time. You have to have something left for the rest of you, your family, or whatever makes you happy.鈥澨�

5. Brewers Association

Location: Boulder, Colorado
Number of Employees: 52

According to research from the , a new brewery opens every 14 hours in the U.S. and the craft-brew boom has created 100,000 new jobs in the past 25 years. The association represents 3,800 of those small and independent craft brewers nationwide听and looks to foster collaboration among them, says CEO Bob Pease.

鈥淥ne brewery doesn鈥檛 hesitate to call up another brewery across the street and say, 鈥楬ey, our filtration system broke down.听Do you have a spare part?鈥欌�� Pease says. 鈥淭hat is not seen in too many industries across the country.鈥澨�

The association recently moved to a rehabbed office right off Pearl Street in downtown Boulder that features a soaring atrium entryway and a bar with three beers on tap, one of which is brewed by the association. Twice a year, the 52 employees split into six teams to brew up a new batch, which helps everyone on staff learn the language and process of brewing.

You might wonder exactly what kind of work goes on at the association. To give a sense, the association employs a Safety Ambassador, whose sole purpose is to educate craft brewers to improve brewery safety, and a Quality Ambassador, tasked with traveling the country to develop membership. 鈥淲e look for people with the same values of our members: authentic, independent, entrepreneurial thinkers,鈥� Pease says.听

6. Renters Warehouse

Location: Bloomington, Minnesota
Number of Employees: 57

As 鈥減rofessional landlords for hire鈥� the mission of is to make owning investment properties easy and worry-free for their clients. Its employees manage 6,000 properties in the Twin Cities and another听11,000听nationwide, providing assistance on everything from accounting services to full-service property management. Employees love the work, says CEO Kevin Ortner, because what they do exponentially improves their clients鈥� lives. 听

And that love shows: The company, founded in 2007, grew by 342 percent over the past three years, earned revenue of $13.4 million in 2014, and landed听on Inc.鈥檚 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing U.S.听companies听six times听in the last six years. That makes for a promising career path for the predominantly first-career 20-somethings who work there, which is the single most important perk of the job, Ortner says. 鈥淲e always try to promote from within. Our success is in our ability to create great careers for people who started with us and are now senior managers and executives.鈥�

鈥淥ne thing I鈥檓 most proud of,鈥� Ortner adds, 鈥渋s that we鈥檝e been able to maintain the culture that everyone treats each other like family.鈥澨�

7. N2 Publishing

Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
Number of听Employees: 180

While failing at his post-college dream to make it as an NFL kicker, Duane Hixon fell into a cozy niche in publishing: creating monthly news publications for upscale neighborhoods nationwide. , which Hixon co-founded, relies on reader-submitted content. That could mean a feature on a family new to a neighborhood in, say, Lake of the Isles, Minneapolis, or photos of kids trick-or-treating on Halloween.听

With no online publishing presence, the concept is charmingly old school and profitable: N2 made $65听million in revenue and grew by 50 percent in 2014. It serves 500 cities across 47 states and is responsible for every aspect of production,听from advertising and sales to design and delivery.

鈥淲e want to build a nationwide business that honors God, strengthens the family, and builds financial wealth,鈥� says Hixon, who is also听the CEO. To do that, Hixon based his company close to the beach in Wilmington, North Carolina, an 国产吃瓜黑料 Best Town听and noted adventure hub.听

And the perks are generous: Employees get two weeks of paid time off over Christmas and New Year鈥檚 (in addition to their typical accrued time off),听and there鈥檚 an on-site personal trainer-nutritionist who teaches two daily yoga or core classes.

8. Ninkasi Brewing Company

Location: Eugene, Oregon
Number of Employees: 105

Named after the Sumerian goddess of fermentation, takes its cues from a 6,500-year-old Mesopotamian culture that worshipped the frothy ale it invented. 鈥淏eer has been connected to human civilization and cultural development since its inception,鈥� says CEO and co-founder Nikos Ridge. 鈥淲e try to create strong cultural experiences in the world and make opportunities to partner with people.鈥澨�

To that end, the Eugene, Oregon鈥揵ased听brewery helps clean up the McKenzie River,听builds houses with Habitat for Humanity, supports a demonstration farm on the McKenzie River that supplies its 105 employees with subsidized organic produce,听and works with hundreds of organizations through donations and hands-on partnerships.听

Luxurious digs in Eugene鈥檚 leafy, mixed-use Whittaker听neighborhood sweeten the deal: Housed in a LEED-certified building, the brewery features听a rock-climbing wall in the atrium, a patio bar, a tasting room with impromptu happy hours every day, and a twice-weekly massage therapist. 鈥淥ur culture comes down to a lot more than what you give people,鈥� says Ridge. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about what you allow them to do and creating a work environment that gives them a chance to be the most successful based on who they are.鈥�

9. Nei-Turner Media Group

Location: Williams Bay, Wisconsin
Number of Employees: 15

When this company launched in 1995, three of its five staffers were moms. 鈥淲e had sick kids and school plays, and we knew that you have to work when you can to get the job done,鈥� says publisher Barbara Krause. That philosophy has guided the company to success听20 years later.听

, housed in a high-ceilinged听renovated church in the village of Williams Bay on the shore听of Lake Geneva, now has 15 employees听and specializes in creating content for tourism organizations and trade associations.

The company has a profit-sharing program based on annual revenue goals, matches up to 3 percent of employee contributions to Roth IRAs, and offers so much flextime that an employee can work from home one day per week. Plus, everyone gets half-day Fridays in the summer and can sign up for painting or stand-up paddleboarding classes, sailing regattas, and an occasional all-expenses-paid company trip to Las Vegas. 听听 听

鈥淲e have a good team that gets the work done and has a great sense of humor while doing it,鈥� says Krause.

10. Deschutes Brewery

Location: Bend, Oregon
Number of Employees: 462

Hands-on is the only way to describe 鈥� nearly 500 employees, who own 7.9 percent of the company that makes Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale. 鈥淲e ask everybody to get involved in the company,鈥� says Michael LaLonde, the brewery鈥檚 president. 鈥淲e ask their opinion all the time, encourage them to get involved in different committees, and every year we have a facilitator come in and do focus groups on employees working conditions. Everybody has a voice.鈥澨�

Whether employees, the majority of whom are based in Bend, lobby for concrete fermenters, can growlers, or new beer styles, Deschutes鈥� cross-departmental Innovation Team takes their ideas seriously and, if they make sense, implements them almost immediately. Another team guides the company鈥檚 philanthropic projects, drawing from a special fund of $335,000 and donations to support roughly 500 nonprofits, like the Deschutes River Conservancy, the Freshwater Trust, and the Deschutes Children Foundation.

The outdoor perks of working in Bend are no-brainers: There are 300 miles of mountain bike听trails and skiing or snowboarding nearby at Mount Bachelor. The brewery itself is located on 17 acres along the banks of the Deschutes River, a world-class fly-fishing stream. Employees can head out to the company鈥檚 disc golf or cyclocross course, launch a paddleboard, or cast a fly within minutes of walking out the door鈥攖hen crack a cold one from the monthly case of beer awarded to everyone.

The Best Health and Wellness Jobs of 2015

If any industry is tuned in听to the needs, desires, and overall well-being of its workforce, it鈥檚 the health and wellness industry.

Many of these companies go the distance for their employees to create an environment that is relaxing and inspiring. They provide free gym memberships, visits from massage therapists and chiropractors, and monthly deliveries of fresh fruits and vegetables, and they鈥檙e generous with opportunities to work remotely. The healthy values they espouse are focused inward as well as outward.

1.听Zen Planner

Location: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Number of Employees: 67

At , a software company that creates online management tools specifically for the fitness industry for tasks like scheduling, automated billing, and website marketing, employees are very much a part of the active community they serve. The passionate skiers, hikers, MMA fighters, CrossFit trainers, and everyday exercisers who show up at this bright, open office with听views of the Rockies听take full advantage of the company鈥檚 $100 per听month gym stipend and sweet discounts at local studios that use their software, like Backcountry CrossFit, Highlands Ranch CrossFit, and Katharo Jiu-Jitsu.听

The company organizes annual ski trips and barbecues, free healthy听lunches every Friday, beer tastings, salsa-making competitions, and frequent extracurricular activities听like stand-up paddleboarding. It also supports employee-recommended听charitable events, such as WODs at their local CrossFit听box that benefit a specific nonprofit.听

鈥淚 think my mindset around what the workplace can be has totally shifted and been forever changed,鈥� says Casey Steiner, director of talent and culture at Zen Planner. The businesses the company serves 鈥渁re then able to spend more time with their customers, getting them hooked on life, health, wellness, and fitness. It鈥檚 a beautiful thing.鈥�

2.听The Honest Kitchen

Location: San Diego, California
Number of Employees: 37

When you walk into , a light, airy loft in the historic Wonder Bread building in San Diego鈥檚 East Village, tails start wagging鈥攅verywhere. More than a dozen dogs hang听out here on a daily basis. 鈥淚 describe it as dog-centric, rather than dog-friendly,鈥� says Lucy Postins, founder of the company, which produces all-natural, human-grade, whole-food meals for cats and dogs. 鈥淲e believe our dogs are the absolute center of everything we do, and the day really revolves around them.鈥澨�

For example, rather than sitting in a conference room to brainstorm ideas, team members often head outside with their pups听for a 20- or 30-minute 鈥渨alking meeting.鈥� Organized group walks happen at least twice a day. And the pets aren鈥檛 the only ones who are happy.听Employees enjoy plenty of perks like a monthly $40听fitness allowance, massages and chiropractor visits, organic fruits and veggies from a local CSA, weekly in-office听doggy-and-me yoga classes, and shared bikes to ride around town. Mission Brewery also happens to be right down the hall, so beer-thirty is never far away.

3. Foothold Technology

Location: New York, New听York
Number of Employees: 56

听works with more than 900 human service providers of every size and type across the country鈥攎ental health agencies, substance abuse centers, homeless shelters鈥攖o create and manage electronic health records for underserved populations. But it makes a point to make its own staff鈥檚 well-being an equally important priority. Foothold offers gym memberships, free lunches听delivered from a different New York sandwich shop every Friday, and an annual active volunteer day where everyone ditches the office and completes a community project together (last year, they planted a garden and helped paint a school in Brooklyn).听

About half of the company鈥檚 56 employees work out of the Union Square headquarters, which includes treadmill desks, stand-up desks, stability ball chairs, and a bicycle desk to help keep everyone moving. 鈥淭here are also plenty of people who work in New York for a couple years, and then say, 鈥業 want to work in Colorado听or the Caribbean,鈥� and they pick up their phones and computers and do their jobs from anywhere,鈥� says Nick Scharlatt, the company鈥檚听co-founder and chief marketing officer. 鈥淲e try to provide a lot of flexibility听in terms of how people work and where they work.鈥� Everyone starts with 26 PTO days per year to be used when they want,听and they get unlimited vacation听after ten years.听

4. Adaptive Sports Center

Location: Crested Butte, Colorado
Number of Employees: 16

Getting paid to ski, mountain bike, or kayak is generally not a bad gig. Being able to help others in the process is like fresh powder on top. The , a nonprofit offering a variety of outdoor activities to people with disabilities, gives every employee a year-round pass to Crested Butte Mountain Resort鈥攕o they鈥檙e rarely confined to a desk.听

When workers do have to catch up on emails, it鈥檚 done in a dog-friendly main office located at the base of the ski area, meaning easy lift access. Group outings听like morning 鈥渟ocial skins鈥� (ski up, then race back down), after-work runs that end with beers at the Brick Oven Pizzeria and Pub, weekly chili dinners, and end-of-season hikes听are all part of the company鈥檚 work hard, play hard culture.听

鈥淲e have clients who are completely blind-climbing fourteeners with us,鈥� says Chris Henley, executive director at the center. 鈥淓ven with what they鈥檙e dealing with, they鈥檙e still all smiles. It makes it hard to have a bad day.鈥� Likewise, if it鈥檚 a powder day and you ski until noon, you can just work later to make up the hours you spent on the slopes. Bonus: The center has an arsenal of gear employees can tap to outfit their adventures.听

5. Organic Valley听

Location: La听Farge, Wisconsin
Number of Employees: 811

Few large food companies can actually claim to be owned and operated by farmers, but 听is essentially a giant co-op that creates certified organic products sourced directly from its 1,800 farmer-owners across the country. 鈥淭his is a group that really walks the walk听in addition to talks the talk,鈥� says Tripp Hughes, director of brand management. 鈥淵es, you have to be profitable in order to give the farmers the returns they鈥檙e looking for and stay competitive, but as a co-op, we鈥檙e also able to make a lot of decisions based on 鈥榳hat鈥檚 the right thing to do?鈥欌�澨�

Employees are tasked with managing and marketing the farmers鈥� crops,听but they鈥檙e also encouraged to visit the company鈥檚 farms across the country and propose new sustainability practices, such as the company鈥檚 rideshare and 鈥済reen bike鈥� programs.

Sitting on the edge of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve, company听headquarters includes听a well-subsidized organic cafe听where company dinners are hosted regularly, an on-site gym, an employee garden, a mile-loop walking path, and bikes to ride at lunch. With a CEO who wears jeans and a flannel shirt to work, Amish buggies tied to hitching posts (seriously) out front, and cowboy hats lining a wall in the hallway, there鈥檚 definitely 鈥渁n element of 鈥榝ly your own flag鈥� here,鈥� Hughes says.

6. Evoke at Entrada

Location: Santa Clara, Utah
Number of Employees: 85

听is a therapeutic wilderness program that places adolescents, young adults, and families dealing with personal struggles, such as mood disorders, depression, and substance abuse, in an outdoor setting for clinical treatment and adventure therapy.听The field instructors, therapists, and psychologists who lead these out-in-the-wild camping sessions follow an eight-days-on, six-days-off schedule and can bring their dogs to work.听

鈥淏ecause of where we鈥檙e located鈥攕o close to some amazing rock climbing, mountain biking, the Grand Canyon, and Zion National Park鈥攅mployees are able to travel and do really cool stuff during their off shifts,鈥� says Rick Heizer, owner and executive director. Staffers are also inspired to 鈥渨ork on themselves in the process,鈥� he adds. They have access to free therapy sessions, yoga classes, professional development training, weekly catered meals, and active group adventures听like laser tag, mini-golf, and kickball games.

7.听Beach Cities Health District

Location: Redondo Beach, California
Number of Employees: 73

The mission of the , in Southern California, is simple: Improve the overall health and wellness of everyone鈥攆rom babies to teenagers to the elderly鈥攍iving in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach. The preventive health agency has been creating and providing myriad services and programs to the community since 1955.听

鈥淯nfortunately, the health care world is not usually known for how it takes care of its employees, but we know we鈥檝e got to focus on them first听before we can help anyone else,鈥� says CEO Susan Burden. 鈥淏CHD is a pet-friendly, child-friendly environment where having fun is an important part of the day, people take breaks for their own physical health, and really creative, highly energetic people can help make the world a better place.鈥�

The office features an open design and a large fitness facility with free small-group training sessions. Plus, there鈥檚 ample vacation time, lots of group volunteer opportunities听(like working with the Special Olympics), and 鈥減urpose鈥� workshops designed to promote greater professional satisfaction.听

8.听My Rounding Solutions

Location: Denver, Colorado
Number of Employees: 23

As long as you get your job done at , a digital health company offering software that helps nurses and hospital administrators manage their rounds (hence the name), you鈥檙e free to hightail it out of Denver whenever you want.听

But the perks at听this cool Colorado startup don鈥檛 end at unlimited vacation. The young, active crew work听at standing desks in the dog-friendly downtown office, get听healthy lunches delivered regularly, and receive听a monthly $50 ThrivePass听to听use at any gym or outdoor adventure program they like, plus a subsidized public transportation pass.听

Employees lead weekly team runs and bike rides, take ski trips throughout the season, and play games听in the office like Ping-Pong, pool, and Xbox. 鈥淥ne of the things that we wanted to ensure was that while we supplied the tools, structure, and foundation for the company, it was our employees who developed the culture,鈥� says David A. Marshall, the chief operating officer听who co-founded the company in 2013. 鈥淚 love coming to work and seeing happy people.鈥�

9. VAVi Sport & Social

Location: San Diego, California
Number of Employees: 35

Working at 听pretty much means you know somebody who knows somebody everywhere you go in Southern California.听

As the West Coast鈥檚 largest sports and social club, the company organizes more than听600 coed adult sports leagues throughout San Diego and owns a few different national event series, like the Wipeout Run鈥攕o the company has tons of business partners. Translation: Employees get loads of freebies around town鈥攇ym memberships, concert tickets, unlimited sandwiches at a local deli, their name听on club VIP lists, and an abundance of healthy snacks and beverages from sponsors like Bare Naked granola and Zico听coconut water, to name a couple.听

VAVi employees also get free registration in the company鈥檚 leagues and events. 鈥淚 would say there鈥檚 always at least one VAVi team participating in something at any time,鈥� says Keith Cunningham, vice president of events and sponsorship sales. 鈥淚t is just part of the culture here.鈥� But where its corporate goal to 鈥渂ring fun to life鈥� really hits home is with routine 鈥渞unches鈥� (lunch runs), a marathon training club, team-building events at places like Disneyland, and a boardroom that sees more Ping-Pong tournaments than meetings.

10. Usana听Health Sciences

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Number of Employees: 746

As a direct sales company, 听has employees drumming up business all over the country, but the nutritional supplement and health care product maker and supplier has an impressive home base as well: Its fitness facilities include a full-size basketball court, a beach volleyball court, a climbing wall, state-of-the-art cardio and strength equipment, and two on-staff personal trainers.听

Team members at this family-friendly company can take advantage of flexible schedules, tuition reimbursement programs, weekly massages, and rotating group fitness classes (CrossFit, Barre, Zumba, yoga, etc.). The office鈥檚 Lean Cafe听and vending machines are stocked with healthy food options.听Workers also get rewards for participating in wellness programs.听And听if you work here, you will be well supplemented for life: Everyone receives a free monthly supply of vitamins, plus a $50 monthly credit and 50 percent off any additional Usana products they want.听

鈥淲e try to create opportunities for our employees so there is a better work-life balance,鈥� says Michael King, executive director of human resources. 鈥淲e have these core values that we talk about听and try to live up to. And the company is very set on making sure those values are real and not just something that we put up on a wall.鈥�

The 100 Best Places to Work in 2015

This is the complete ranking听of companies听in听this year鈥檚 Best Places to Work package

1.听听(Denver)
Public relations firm GroundFloor Media, based in Denver, offers strategic communications and crisis management services to companies big and small. The office features an open layout, a 鈥減layroom鈥� with beanbags, and a big communal lunch table.

2.听 (Boise)
The execs at Boise-based ad firm Drake Cooper trust their creatives and directors to work long hours (when they have to). In return, the office is dog friendly, and people can collaborate around the beer fridge or take a meeting while biking through Boise鈥檚 nearby greenbelt. Another perk: Employees and management make the effort to ensure PTO is actually time off鈥攊f possible, email and calls are banned when an employee is out.

3.听 (Saint Paul)
St. Paul鈥揵ased company Ergodyne builds protective gear for workers in transportation, construction, and manufacturing. It fosters fitness and wellness challenges among its 43 workers鈥攃ompetitions in weight lifting, running, and stress reduction鈥攁nd rewards them with cash bonuses. That鈥檚 on top of half-day summer Fridays, staff happy hours, and company parties.

4.听 (Anchorage)
Employees at Anchorage-based ad agency Spawn Ideas get $250 a year to cover outdoorsy expenditures like gear and race entrance fees,听short听summer Fridays to take advantage of the long Alaska days,听and company-wide outings to the local trampoline gymnasium. The office even comes equipped with sweeping views of the Cook Inlet.

5.听 (Denver)
The 17 workers for Denver-based CauseLabs are scattered around the globe, so the tech company fosters over-the-Web collaborations in which employees play games together. The tech firm provides high-tech help in the form of apps and social media guidance to nonprofits and other do-gooders.

6.听听(Indianapolis)
Advertising firm Young & Laramore creates print, digital, and TV ads听from its headquarters听inside a renovated 1920s schoolhouse in Indianapolis. Employees are allowed to bring in their dogs to the office, which was rated 鈥渙ne of the world鈥檚 coolest鈥� by Inc. magazine.

7.听 (Portland)
Portland-based agency听Nemo Design has created ad campaigns for big names like Nike and Converse since its founding in 1999. Every week, the firm rents out an indoor skate park for lunch, invites whoever they feel like, and blows off steam on the ramps and rails. The company is near听the Willamette River, and employees can take out the company boat every evening.

8.听 (San Clemente)
The office of San Clemente, California鈥揵ased sock maker Stance is a modern jumble of shipping containers surrounding a basketball court. The company鈥檚 130 employees are also treated to an in-house skate bowl, a golf simulator, and a full gym staffed with a personal trainer.

9.听听(Ventura)
Southern听California鈥揵ased Trade Desk, which was founded in 2009, is pioneering a new model of online advertising by helping agencies buy and manage display and social media campaigns online. The office is听near the beach and听offers surfboard storage for employees, balance boards to relieve stress, and even the occasional taco party.

10.听 (Boulder)
Ad shop TDA_Boulder听does everything from TV ads to logo redesign and packaging. At the end of the year, profits are divvied up among TDA鈥檚 20 employees听in the form of bonuses to the tune of 10听to听20 percent of base salary.

11.听听(Boulder)
Boulder-based Pellucid Analytics helps financial firms make data visual鈥搇aden pitchbooks for all manner of deals鈥攁nd bosses are doing everything they can to nurture an exciting office community. Every other week, the startup, founded in 2011, holds Board Game Friday where lunch devolves into competitive gaming, and there are constant table tennis tournaments, an indoor soccer team, powder days, and more.

12.听听(Orem)
Utah-based software education firm BrainStorm gives each of its 65 employees $50 per month to donate to anyone in need. It also has an in-house 鈥淐ulture Club鈥� responsible for organizing staff events like dodgeball games and other company outings.

13.听 (Denver)
Denver-based Cloud Elements makes sure companies鈥� apps effectively utilize the cloud. But the tech company has a focus on the outdoors: In winter, the 40-person crew will take off for ski Fridays, and group hikes are the norm in summer. There鈥檚 a foosball table in the office for stress release and an ugly sweater party at Christmas. Plus, random bonuses and rewards鈥攍ike all-expenses-paid outdoor excursions or brewery tours鈥攁re handed out for good performances.

14.听 (Parma Heights)
Realeflow, a tech company that creates software to make real estate agents鈥� lives easier, believes in rewarding good work. For instance, if the company meets new-user goals, the whole 27-person team takes the day off and heads to a local amusement park. The Parma Heights, Ohio鈥揵ased office isn鈥檛 a bad place to spend time, either, with scheduled dog days, a Nintendo Wii in the lounge, and half-day Fridays in summer. Plus, the team has been known to frequent the local bowling alley and laser tag arena.

15.听 (Highlands Ranch)
Zen Planner is a software company in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, that creates online management tools specifically for the fitness industry for tasks like scheduling, automated billing, and website marketing鈥攊n an office with a view of the Rockies. The company organizes annual ski trips and barbecues, free healthy听lunches every Friday, beer tastings, salsa-making competitions, and frequent extracurricular activities听like stand-up paddleboarding.

16.听 (Boulder)
This Boulder-based tech company creates software to make running a team鈥攂e it your kid鈥檚 soccer squad or your frat bro鈥檚 kickball crew鈥攚ay easier. As such, TeamSnap treats its 61-person听team well. Employees are allowed to work from anywhere and receive unlimited PTO. Each year, the whole company makes a trip to Steamboat, Colorado, for teambuilding, ultimate Frisbee, and capoeira. And, of course, TeamSnap fields a softball team each year.

17.听听(San Francisco)
San Francisco鈥揵ased Zozi听is an online-booking software company for tour, activity, and event providers in 90 countries. Staffers enjoy lunchtime patio yoga, the company running club, the $400听per quarter in 鈥淶ozi credits鈥� to book travel or buy discounted gear from the likes of The North Face and GoPro, and the $1,000 annual professional development budget.

18.听 (Santa Rosa)
Santa Rosa, California鈥揵ased AmeriCan is a continental outfitter that offers trips ranging from seven days in the Southwest to a three-week cross-country journey in search of Americana. Each of its 27 employees who visit national parks get $500 stipends and five extra paid days off, plus $2,000听to spend on industry-related education.

19.听 (Missoula)
Missoula, Montana鈥揵ased Ecology Project International helps get local youths active in conservation by connecting them with area field scientists in five countries:听Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize, Ecuador (the Galapagos), and the United States. The company pays for its 28 employees to travel around the world on 鈥渆mployee familiarization trips.鈥�

20.听听(Boulder)
Cloud 9 Living, based in Boulder, sells 鈥渆xperience gifts鈥� in 51 cities nationwide, ranging from Ferrari racing to whitewater rafting. Its 16 employees enjoy a quarterly听鈥渆xperience day鈥� in which they go zip-lining or snowmobiling or hot-air ballooning.

21.听听(Denver)
FullContact says it wants to Dropbox-ify your address book. Or, in non-tech speak, it wants to make sure your contact list stays up to date and syncs across all your devices. But this Denver-based company of 61 employees sees the benefit of putting down the smartphone every once and awhile and encourages its employees to take vacations 鈥渙ff the grid鈥濃�攐r at least away from email. Plus, the office comes equipped with a gym, shower, bike storage, and space for lunchtime yoga. And if the stress of coding indoors is too much, the team takes off Friday afternoons for Frisbee in the park.

22.听听(San Diego)
The Honest Kitchen produces all-natural, human-grade, whole-food meals for cats and dogs. Rather than sitting in a conference room to brainstorm ideas, team members at the San Diego office often head outside for a 20- or 30-minute 鈥渨alking meeting鈥� with their pups.

23.听听(Aspen)
Bluetent鈥檚 offices are in the middle of the Rockies鈥攊n Carbondale, Colorado鈥攁nd with that prime location comes some quality outdoors time. The 37 employees at this digital ad agency go on weekly hiking and biking trips and often fly-fish together. The team also started a winter 鈥淯p Hill鈥� club:听Employees meet at the base of a local mountain every Tuesday and Thursday for an early morning skin or snowshoe hike up the hill, then get in some downhill skiing before work starts. The indoors aren鈥檛 too bad at Bluetent, either: Offices come furnished with reclaimed wood and a fully stocked microbrew听fridge.

24.听 (Boulder)
Peaksware makes software that helps people train for things鈥攅verything from marathons to musical instruments鈥攕o it听makes sense that its Boulder-based office comes equipped with a high-end gym and a recording studio. Endurance sports are baked into the office culture鈥攍unchtime bike rides have been known to spontaneously brake for push-up contests鈥攁nd it鈥檚 the kind of place where plenty of the company鈥檚 109 employees鈥� personal bests are displayed on a whiteboard in the kitchen. The company also organizes less strenuous events, like food truck lunches, concert raffles, cookouts, and beer Fridays.

25.听 (Boulder)
Boulder-based VictorOps makes software for people who work at the intersection of development and IT. Its office comes fully stocked with all the goodies that come with being an Internet startup, including a house shuffleboard table, a kegerator, and a rooftop barbecue area. Plus, the boss鈥檚 love for everything involving tech and flight means that quadcopters often buzz around the 32-employee office.

26.听 (San Francisco)
GeoEx, in San Francisco, offers trips in more than 70 countries. Its 55 employees take advantage of twice-weekly in-house yoga classes, a cocktail cart that periodically appears in the office, and a worksite in Presidio National Park on San Francisco Bay that affords remarkable out-the-door adventure opportunities.

27.听 (New York)
New York City鈥揵ased Foothold Technology听works with more than 900 human service providers of every size and type across the country鈥攎ental health agencies, substance abuse centers, homeless shelters鈥攖o create and manage electronic health records for underserved populations. Employees receive听comped gym memberships, free lunch deliveries, and generous off-site听work听opportunities.

28.听听(Kalamazoo)
The perks at this Kalamazoo, Michigan鈥揵ased economic development advising agency center around families. The company puts on Frozen screenings for employees鈥� kids at a local theater and hands out tickets to shows like Wicked. The agency鈥檚 24 employees are encouraged to take advantage of their flextime to ensure they can show up for their kid鈥檚 soccer games or help set up for the school play. For the agency, the five Fs鈥擣itness, Finance, Faith, Family, and Food鈥攃ome first.

29.听 (Boulder)
鈥淲ellness鈥� is a key idea at Sterling-Rice Group, a Boulder-based branding agency. In addition to offering yoga classes, bikes on site for borrowing, and Friday massages, the company wants to keep its 90 employees physically and emotionally healthy. Sterling-Rice hosts health clinics throughout the year that focus on biometrics screenings and health-risk assessments, presents classes on healthy meal planning, and makes a mindfulness consultant available to ensure everyone is centered. But the firm also cares about financial wellness: 401(k) management, financial planning, and credit and mortgage scoring are all offered free to employees.

30.听听(Minneapolis)
This Minneapolis-based ad shop likes to maintain a healthy 鈥渨ork/outside听life鈥� balance. That means offering bikes to borrow, yoga classes on the roof, and two company Subarus that employees can rent for weeklong excursions. In summer, the rooftop becomes a stage when the firm brings in local up-and-coming musicians for private concerts. And once a year, everyone on the听215-person team brings their family to the CEO鈥檚 rural Minnesota farm for petting zoos, tractor rides, and more live music.

31.听 (Boulder)
Boulder-based Slice of Lime, a user-experience design agency for Web and mobile apps, employs听15 people, all of whom seem sublimely happy, thanks to staff hikes and camping trips, a $2,500 education fund, and orders to spend 20 percent of their time on passion projects. A monthly peer-voted award grants the highest achiever with a skydiving trip to Moab or a chance to race a sports car.

32.听听(New York)
At recruiting firm ReWork, 15 staffers in offices in New York City, Boulder, and Denver help socially responsible companies hire the right people for the job. Working here means flexibility鈥攕taffers get 30 days to work remotely, plus 30 days of vacation鈥攁s well as team rock-climbing excursions, walking meetings, and full-staff happy hours via video conference between the offices.

33.听听(Bozeman)
MERCURYcsc, a boutique advertising agency in Bozeman, Montana, specializes in crafting authentic branding for companies in the travel and outdoor industries. The company鈥檚 20 staffers are treated to travel vouchers, company ski days, and flexible hours, plus an in-office slackline and a communal cruiser bike for running errands.

34.听 (Boulder)
In 2011, Namaste Solar became an employee-owned cooperative, meaning all 111 staffers now have stock options. The company, a major installer of residential and commercial solar power systems in Colorado and elsewhere, has solar-powered, LEED-certified offices in Boulder and Denver. It prides itself on transparency (even salaries are disclosed) and giving back (staffers get four volunteer days per year, and 10 percent of profits are donated to local charities like homeless shelters or the Humane Society).

35.听 (Fort Collins)
Fort Collins鈥揵ased beer maker听New Belgium Brewing is owned by its 640 employees, who have access to on-site volleyball courts, a cyclocross track, and an in-house gear shed. One year on the job earns an employee a new cruiser bike,听five years earns a free trip to Belgium,听and ten years wins a worker a four-week paid sabbatical.

36.听 (Boulder)
Tech startup Tendril offers cloud-based software for personalized home-energy solutions鈥攂asically, it helps customers have greater control over their utilities and energy use. The 95 employees at this听Boulder-based company receive unlimited time off and a monthly wellness stipend that covers ski passes, plus twice-a-year听company retreats to cool destinations like hiking trails and hot springs.

37.听听(Crested Butte)
The Adaptive Sports Center, a Crested Butte, Colorado鈥揵ased nonprofit offering a variety of outdoor activities to people with disabilities, gives each of its 16 employees a year-round pass to the local ski resort鈥攕o they鈥檙e rarely confined to a desk.听Morning skin-ups, after-work runs, and weekly chili dinners are all part of the company鈥檚 work hard, play hard culture.

38.听听(LaFarge)
LaFarge, Wisconsin鈥揵ased Organic Valley听is essentially a giant co-op that creates certified organic products sourced directly from its 1,800 farmer-owners across the country. The company features regular company dinners, an on-site gym, an employee garden, a mile-loop walking path, and bikes to check out and ride at lunch.

39.听 (Seattle)
Seattle-based Geocaching has guided 10 million users around the world toward 2.7 million mini-treasure chests. Employee benefits include free catered lunches four days a week, a 鈥渒eg squad鈥� of five who keep the office kegerator flowing with fresh craft beer, meetings on Lake Union, and a requirement that each employee spend at least a few hours of work time each month geocaching.

40.听听(Boulder)
SolidFire builds innovative听flash-memory storage systems for cloud service providers and large enterprises. With upwards of 270 employees听at its Boulder headquarters, the company will soon open an even larger office on Boulder鈥檚 Pearl Street. SolidFire offers employees $150 a month for not driving to work, plus on-site bike tune-ups, running and hiking clubs, and regular lunches with CEO and founder Dave Wright.

41.听听(Helena)
The Helena, Montana鈥揵ased Montana Wilderness Association was founded in 1958 and helps preserve the state鈥檚 wild heritage. Each of its 23 workers gets personal 鈥渢rail days,鈥澨齛nd the company hosts an annual four-day staff backpacking trip.

42.听听(Denver)
You can easily work from home for听ReadyTalk听utilizing the tech company鈥檚 streamlined audio and Web conferencing tools. But why would you when the Denver headquarters has on-site yoga, beer kegs, hula-hoop contests, and a Nerd Lounge with Wii and Xbox? The 165 employees get tuition reimbursement, paid time off for charity work, and $300 a year to cover race entry fees.

43.听 (Santa Monica)
Cornerstone OnDemand provides cloud-based software solutions to help companies manage and recruit employees. Its staffers鈥攁ll 1,057 of them鈥攁re treated like real talent, with unlimited vacation, catered breakfasts, and an in-house yoga studio, theater room, and arcade at the LEED-certified听headquarters in听Santa Monica, California.

44.听听(Richmond)
Companies looking to reinvent themselves, solve a problem, or craft their messaging听look to the Frontier Project, a strategic consulting firm out of Richmond, Virginia, that offers services including negotiation, event design, content creation, and more. Its 34 employees come from diverse professional backgrounds, from designers to economists, and have access to weekly physical training sessions, a staff book club, and couches in lieu of desks.

45.听听(Santa Barbara)
If the catered meals, Pacific Ocean views, morning meditation sessions, and half-day Fridays aren鈥檛 enough to lure you, the diversity of the work you鈥檒l do at Ontraport will. The Santa Barbara, California鈥揵ased company, which began in a backyard yurt in 2006 and today has 107 employees, helps entrepreneurs and small businesses grow and automate their companies through a business and marketing platform.听

46.听 (Santa Clara)
Evoke at Entrada听is a therapeutic wilderness program that places adolescents, young adults, and families dealing with personal struggles, such as mood disorders, depression, and substance abuse, in an outdoor setting for clinical treatment and adventure therapy.听The field instructors, therapists, and psychologists who lead these out-in-the-wild camping sessions follow an eight-days-on, six-days-off schedule and can bring their dogs to work.听

47.听 (Basalt)
Sustainability is the core principle of Basalt, Colorado鈥揵ased CCY Architects, which designed one of the country鈥檚 largest passive-heated buildings. The firm鈥檚 annual employee wellness package can go toward anything from an Aspen Mountain ski pass to weekly yoga classes to kayaking lessons.

48.听听(Kailua-Kona)
Hawaii Forest & Trail, based in Kailua-Kona, leads nature tours on Hawaii鈥檚 Big Island. Its 50 employees enjoy health insurance (rare in the Hawaiian tourism industry) and comped passes for various outdoor tours.

49.听 (Toronto)
Toronto-based G 国产吃瓜黑料s offers small-group trips in more than 100 countries. Staff enjoy a rooftop 鈥減artio鈥� with hammocks and Wi-Fi to work outside; free ice cream; transit and gym reimbursement; and an annual $2,000 allowance to put toward a trip offered by the company, plus another $750 for airfare.

50.听听(Minneapolis)
Colle + McVoy is a听creative agency in Minneapolis that handles everything from advertising to brand design. Its 240 employees specialize in modernizing brands and enjoy perks like office happy hours and yoga classes.

51.听听(Milwaukee)
In a building听housing an听in-house cafe and gym in the heart of Milwaukee鈥檚 hopping Historic Third Ward, the 67 employees at听Hanson Dodge Creative听work with Burton, Trek, Thule, and Wolverine, among others, to engage consumers with cutting-edge strategies and tech.

52.听 (Santa Barbara)
Headquartered less than a mile from Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara, California, RightScale pioneered the cloud computing space (that is, managing and storing digital assets) and is a leading U.S.听tech employer of听132 people. But听as the staff mantra goes, 鈥淲e take our work, but not ourselves, seriously.鈥�

53.听听(Los Angeles)
At Team One, a 406-employee branding agency in Los Angeles, you can work with underdogs and heavyweights, among them Icelandic, the Ritz-Carlton, and Lexus. You can also take part in Do Good Fridays, which allow employees to do hands-on volunteer work or donate goods or money to a different nonprofit each month.

54.听 (Aspen)
Aspen-based Charles Cunniffe Architects specializes in green buildings鈥攖he type that run on photovoltaic solar collectors and geothermal systems. Its employees enjoy flexible hours, particularly during powder days.

55.听 (Philadelphia)
Apparel maker United by Blue, based in Philadelphia, was founded on philanthropic principles: Removing garbage from the ocean, using sustainable materials, and generally encouraging its 25 employees to support charities and foundations are听keys to its mission. Workers are rewarded with company camping trips and in-house DIY workshops on skills like bookbinding and kombucha brewing.

56.听 (Minneapolis)
This 46-person Minneapolis marketing and communications agency prides itself on modern storytelling. And fun is in the company DNA: Prior to founding Haberman, the husband-and-wife duo of Fred and Sarah Haberman owned an adventure travel outfitter and led trips to places ranging from the Boundary Waters to the Himalayas. They maintain work-play balance by, among other means, allotting employees paid time to work on the company vegetable farm 45 minutes outside the city. Fresh produce is then delivered to the office for staffers to take home.

57.听听(Orlando)
Based in Orlando, Uproar focuses on growing a brand鈥檚 audience as well as driving sales via smart, targeted strategies and social media. The 34-person staff trends young, which is one of the reasons the company鈥檚 annual Caribbean cruise is a popular perk.

58.听听(Redondo Beach)
The mission of the Beach Cities Health District, in Southern California, is simple: Improve the overall health and wellness of everyone鈥攆rom babies to teenagers to the elderly鈥攍iving in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach. Employees enjoy ample vacation time, lots of group volunteer opportunities听(like working with the Special Olympics), and 鈥減urpose鈥� workshops designed to promote greater professional satisfaction.听

59.听听(Dallas)
Dallas-based construction company C1S Group renovates existing commercial buildings to make them eco-friendly. After workers wrap a particularly difficult听project, they鈥檙e rewarded with generous comp time. Employees are also听treated to regular happy hours and an annual crawfish boil.

60.听听(Boulder)
Boulder-based outdoor summer camp operator Avid4 国产吃瓜黑料 offers its year-round employees unlimited time off as long as they get their work done during the summer high season. Plus, each of its听15 workers receive听鈥渁nniversary gifts鈥� ranging from $600 to round-trip airfare to a stipend to spend a month anywhere in the world.

61.听 (Boulder)
The Brewers Association, based in Boulder, represents 3,800 small and independent craft brewers nationwide. Its office includes a bar with three beers on tap, one of which is brewed by association employees.

62.听听(Washington)
This St. Louis鈥揵ased nonprofit helps veterans find new ways to engage with a cause or purpose when they return to civilian life. For the organization鈥檚 41 employees and the 鈥減latoons鈥� of vets they organize, this can mean working to reduce child hunger in one city or to eliminate chronic veteran homelessness in another.

63.听听(Stowe)
A leader in the central reservations field, Inntopia books trips and vacation packages for what you might call 鈥済ood people to know鈥�: tour operators, resorts, and activity providers around the world. Based in picturesque Stowe, Vermont, the firm offers its听29 employees some of the best adventure terrain in New England outside their front door.

64.听 (Denver)
As long as you get your job done at MyRounding Solutions, a digital health company offering听software that helps nurses and hospital administrators manage their rounds (hence the name), you鈥檙e free to hightail it out of Denver whenever you want.听Plus, the company鈥檚 23 employees lead weekly team runs and bike rides, take ski trips throughout the season, and play games听like Ping-Pong, pool, and Xbox听in the office.

65.听听(San Francisco)
Thumbtack connects consumers to local pros for virtually every imaginable need, from home improvement to events to wellness. Its 304 employees, headquartered in San Francisco, benefit from an in-house culinary team and $5,000 conference stipend, among other perks.

66.听听(Bloomington)
Bloomington, Minnesota鈥揵ased Renter Warehouse manages 6,000 properties in the Twin Cities and another听11,000听nationwide, providing assistance on everything from accounting services to full-service property management. It鈥檚 one of the fastest-growing companies in the United听States.

67.听 (Wilmington)
N2 publishing, based听in Wilmington, North Carolina, serves 500 cities across 47 states with monthly local news publications. It handles every aspect of production,听from advertising and sales to design and delivery.听Employees receive听two weeks off toward the end of the year in addition to their typical time off.

68.听 (Boulder)
A creative digital agency based in Boulder, Mondo Robot builds websites for cool companies big and small, from Whistler听Blackcomb to Spot Brand Bikes. Not surprisingly, the staff of 36 tends to seek out good times outside of work as well, hence this sentence in every posting for an open position: 鈥淲e rock websites, games, strategy, bikes, motion, tequila, video, code, logos, tacos, mobile, music, new identities, IPAs, and sweet Colorado pow.鈥�

69.听听(Sausalito)
This 22-year-old creative firm operates with one golden rule: Work hard and check your ego at the door. That gives the 117 employees at this full-service advertising agency, which handles creative direction, strategic planning, media, analytics, and production, the leeway to dream up big ideas for top clients, like Mini鈥檚 K-9 Showroom, which features puppy cams that tour the car from a dog鈥檚 perspective. With free Wednesday yoga classes and the hills and bays of Sausalito out the door, it鈥檚 no wonder the company fields a strong competitors for Escape from Alcatraz.听

70.听听(Edwards)
In the shadow of Beaver Creek Resort and practically on the banks of the听Eagle River, this Edwards, Colorado鈥揵ased听tech firm has 17 employees who handle database marketing and customer relationship management services for about 75 ski resorts and a growing list of golf, beach, and hotel destinations. The firm鈥檚 M.O. is to work hard, then get out the door to ski in Vail or Beaver Creek on a powder day, fly-cast for rainbow trout on the听Eagle River, or crush each other on a road or mountain bike鈥攖he Strava data doesn鈥檛 lie.听

71.听 (Steamboat Springs)
Merino apparel maker SmartWool supplies its 65 employees with season passes to Steamboat Ski Area in Colorado (near the company鈥檚 headquarters) and mandates a powder day whenever it snows more than six inches. Workers also get short summer Fridays and are encouraged to participate in company-hosted athletic competitions.

72.听听(Austin)
From the print ad to the mobile app to the retail experience, this听Austin, Texas鈥揵ased advertising and PR firm builds a 360-degree emotional connection between people and brands like Yeti Coolers, Costa Sunglasses, and Shiner Beer. Equipped with showers and a rooftop deck, the office, a quarter-mile from Lady Bird Lake, is set up for employees who want to maximize outdoor time, like the Friday afternoon 鈥淏ike2Swim,鈥� in which the 108 staffers are invited to bike over to Barton Springs and cannonball into the cool water before stopping off at a food truck for lunch.听

73.听听(Berkeley)
Founded in 1979 as a cycle-tour company, Berkeley-based Backroads has since expanded to include hiking and multisport itineraries. But its 221 employees are still passionate cyclists:听Every Tuesday and Thursday, a 30-mile post-work group ride climbs 2,500 feet into the Berkeley Hills鈥攇ood training for the upcoming staff ride in Tuscany. The guides may get the glamour job, but office staff gets an extra week鈥檚 worth of vacation and trip credit to experience any trip on the Backroads听roster.听

74.听听(San Diego)
San Diego鈥揵ased VAVi Sport & Social is the West Coast鈥檚 largest sports and social club. The company organizes more than 600 coed adult sports leagues throughout San Diego and owns a few different national event series, like the Wipeout Run. Employees get loads of freebies: gym memberships, concert tickets, unlimited sandwiches at a local deli, their names听on club VIP lists, and an abundance of healthy snacks and beverages.

75.听听(Carlsbad)
Luggage听maker Eagle Creek, based in Carlsbad, California, encourages its staff of 47 to test products on weekend adventures, has an in-house meditation room, and offers employees funds for Kiva microloans to support small businesses around the world. It also offers workers paid days off for community service projects.

76.听听(Bend)
This听Bend-based company specializes in digital marketing for apartments, self-storage, and senior living. With an office downtown near Drake Park, most employees walk or bike to work and practice office-sponsored yoga or play ultimate Frisbee at lunch. Walking business meetings are encouraged, as is walking the dog鈥攖he employees鈥� 49 canines and one honorary cat have their own page on the G5 website. In summer, Fridays are for taking off at 1 p.m.

77.听听(Miami)
Hard chargers, heed this: This Miami-based leading consumer electronics and technology PR firm executed a full-distance triathlon at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show for its client Polar. It makes sense considering one of the stated goals for its 59 employees is to 鈥渟eek opportunities to help clients crush competitors.鈥� With a gym and showers in the office and the triathlon training capital of Key Biscayne just down the road, there are plenty of opportunities to crush office mates, too.

78.听听(Ferndale)
Ferndale, Washington鈥揵ased Superfeet makes over-the-counter custom insoles for your shoes听and is an employee-owned company. One percent of the company鈥檚 revenue goes to nonprofits, and workers receive paid days off to work on community service projects.

79.听听(Bozeman)
Bozeman-based Foundant听creates software for people or organizations that fund nonprofits. The company鈥檚 inspiring clients are a huge reason the 33 employees, many refugees from Fortune 500 corporations, love working here. The company鈥檚 flexible philosophy also helps. Employees are encouraged to take long weekends for ultimate Frisbee competitions, endurance events, or playtime听in the surrounding mountains听and receive an annual $1,000 stipend to reimburse expenses while on vacation.

80.听听(Seattle)
A nonprofit built around its passion for the outdoors, Seattle-based Mountaineers has been teaching classes, taking trips, and听publishing how-to and where-to guidebooks for the past 100 years. The majority of its 38 employees work out of a dog-friendly 鈥渃lubhouse鈥� in Magnuson Park that has two climbing walls, a bouldering area, and a naturalist center听and is a just a five-minute walk to听Lake Washington and a dog park. Community-minded job-seekers, take note: The most essential task of a Mountaineers staff member is to support its tireless volunteers.听

81.听听(Eugene)
Eugene, Oregon鈥揵ased听brewery Ninkasi Brewing Company doesn鈥檛 just make tasty beer. Its 105 employees also do river cleanups, build houses with Habitat for Humanity, and support a demonstration farm on the MacKenzie River that supplies them with subsidized organic produce. The brewery features a rock-climbing wall, patio bar, and twice-weekly massage therapy.

82.听 (Whitefish)
The 25 employees at this Whitefish, Montana鈥揵ased听Web design and e-commerce software development firm know work-life harmony. They work for a company that offers good benefits, flexible schedules, and the same diversity and challenge that one would find at a firm in a major metro area, but they live at the gateway to Glacier National Park at the foot of Whitefish Mountain Resort. Morning powder runs, lunchtime trail runs, and after-work mountain bike rides tip the scales in ZaneRay鈥檚 favor.听

83.听听(Salt Lake City)
Outdoor gear maker Petzl, based in Salt Lake City, offers听an in-house bouldering area and a 55-foot-high climbing wall to its 56 employees. Staffers get discounted ski passes, a loaner gear closet, and lots of paid time off.

84.听听(Eugene)
This company based in downtown Eugene, Oregon, creates integrated real estate search software, customizable listing search utilities, and management tools for real estate blogs and websites. If that听sounds complicated, it should, which is why the 鈥渇reedom to fail within a collaborative environment鈥� is appreciated by the 48 employees who work here, says one executive. The more practical reason to love this place is that as long as the work is done well, IDX Broker higher-ups are happy. For employees, this translates to highly flexible hours and a culture that allows entire departments to walk down to Killer Burger for a power lunch, no questions asked.

85.听(Mount Dora)
First Green听Bank adheres to strict environmental standards at each of its five Florida locations听and encourages others to do the same. The company offers discounted interest rates for customers (commercial and residential projects) that use solar panel systems or follow green building criteria. The company also supports local farms and promotes community service among all of its employees. Extra cool: The company听also offers an on-site gym and a听401(k) match up to 6 percent.

86.听听(Burlington)
With clients like Mountain Dew and Burton Snowboards, it鈥檚 no surprise that Fuse, a marketing agency that targets teens and young adults through sports, music, and fashion, has a cool, creative culture. Employees receive a free season ski pass, paid time off to volunteer with a charity of their choice, access to a fitness facility complete with a half-pipe and communal stand-up听paddleboards, and bikes to use throughout the day. Plus, people who make it to the five- or ten-year mark can expect an incredible bonus. (One employee received a heliboarding trip.)

87.听听(Williams Bay)
Media company Nei-Turner is housed in a high-ceilinged听renovated church in the village of Williams Bay, Wisconsin, on the shore听of Lake Geneva. Its 15 employees can work from home one day each week and get half-day summer Fridays. There鈥檚 also an annual staff trip to Las Vegas.

88.听 (Santa Barbara)
Apparel maker Toad&Co,听based in Santa Barbara, California, takes its 75 employees on group camping trips, hosts grilled-cheese smackdowns, and has cocktail hours on Friday afternoons. Community service has also become an integral part of the company鈥檚 identity: Employees work with adults with disabilities, volunteer at soup kitchens, and rebuild bikes.

89.听听(Des Moines)
With access to local trails right out their door, employees of Two Rivers Marketing, a business-to-business advertising and public relations agency, can often be found running, walking, or biking near the office together on branded vintage bicycles. There are also showers and lockers on location, plus a break room with table tennis, pool, and arcade games.

90.听听(Madison)
Known as 鈥淪hiners,鈥� the people who make up advertising, design, and interactive agency Shine United听have plenty of reasons to work hard. They receive bonus checks throughout the year, can potentially 鈥渙wn鈥� a part of the company based on performance after two years of employment, have 100 percent of their health insurance covered, and enjoy听summer Fridays and two weeks of vacation around the holidays (on top of ten听days vacation to start).

91.听听(Bingham Farms)
A digital media brand that targets outdoor enthusiasts through multiple platforms, including more than听500 websites and popular streaming service CarbonTV, the Carbon Media Group听really knows its niche. The company听hosts quarterly adventures, like trips to shooting ranges, ice fishing, and canoeing, and听offers employees听a fully loaded game room and unlimited paid time off.

92.听 (Aspen)
Going to work is a whole lot easier when your 鈥渙ffice鈥� is one of four world-class mountains (Snowmass, Aspen, Buttermilk, and Aspen Highlands) in the Rockies. One of the last remaining independently owned and operated ski resorts, Aspen Skiing Company听provides its employees with free ski passes, free fitness and yoga classes, and a solid health plan.

93.听(Salt Lake City)
Usana听is a nutritional supplement and health care product maker and supplier based in Salt Lake City. It provides its 746 employees with a basketball court, beach volleyball court, climbing wall, cardio and strength equipment, and two on-staff personal trainers.

94.听听(Boulder)
Robotics developer Sphero, based in Boulder, offers its 92 workers flexible work hours and awards for creative thinking at weekly staff lunches. Its office is also packed with Xbox stations, Frisbee golf, and Nerf guns, and staffers can drive an electric car down the halls.

95.听听(Bend)
Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon, is located along the banks of the Deschutes River, a world-class fly-fishing stream. Its employees enjoy 300 miles of mountain bike听trails and, in winter, nearby skiing or snowboarding.

96.听听(Golden)
Known for its ergonomically听designed folding knives, Golden, Colorado鈥揵ased Spyderco provides its 90 workers with gym memberships and regular fruit deliveries. Since the company is based near mountains and streams, employees get out for midday trail runs and whitewater paddles.

97.听 (Boston)
For wanderlusts looking to see the world through work, Audley Travel听is the place to be. The tour company creates luxury vacations and tailor-made trips for its clients. As an employee, you receive discounted rates for personal travel, free trips for top performances, and one-month familiarization trips to your country of specialty.

98.听 (Asheville)
Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with campuses in the Florida Everglades, the Outer Banks, and Patagonia, the North Carolina Outward Bound School teaches its students (many of whom听are grant听funded) activities like rock climbing, mountaineering, and sea kayaking, while throwing in important life skills along the way. Staff members get sweet deals on outdoor gear, performance-based gifts, and seasonal bonuses.

99.听 (Gainesville)
Infinite Energy听competes with other suppliers to provide natural gas in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York听and electricity in Texas. When an employee refers someone to the company, he or she receives one percent of that new worker鈥檚 first-year salary as a bonus. Other perks include an on-site gym with a full-time personal trainer, weekly chair massages, and eight hours of paid volunteer time to serve during the workday.

100.听听(Park City)
Many of the benefits that come with working at lifestyle and performance audio brand Skullcandy听revolve around the company鈥檚 Park City location. Employees receive season ski passes, access to two gyms within walking distance of the office, group powder days (that is,听permission to come in late after it snows), and weekly 鈥淪kull Fit鈥� and running workouts hosted by the CEO. They also get 12 PTO days and work closely with local nonprofits.

The post The Best Places to Work: 2015 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It鈥檚 easy to grow tired of eating packaged energy gels, blocks, chews, and bars. The good news: You can create your own delicious, all-natural versions鈥攁nd still receive the same performance benefits. Presenting five easy recipes to make your workouts taste great.

Li猫ge Waffles

Makes 12 servings

• 戮 cup milk, warmed
• 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 Tbsp cane sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 陆 cup melted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 陆 tsp salt
• Small bowl of pearled (or course) sugar

Place milk, yeast, cane sugar, and 1 cup flour in a bowl, and mix into a soft dough using an electric mixer. Let dough rest for about 15 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup or honey, butter, and vanilla. Add egg mixture to dough, along with the remaining flour and salt. Mix well into a soft, sticky dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Punch down the dough into 12 portions, shape each into a small ball, and roll each ball in pearled sugar.听

Heat waffle iron. Press dough into the iron, and cook until color is golden and waffle feels crisp to the touch. Or wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or Ziplock bag. You can freeze dough until ready to cook.

Benefits: Each waffle contains 228 calories, 10 grams of fat, 29 grams of carbs and 6 grams protein, making them a great source of energy while you bike, hike, or climb. 鈥淭hese all-natural waffles can also be sandwiched with whatever flavor you鈥檙e craving the day of your workout鈥攑eanut butter, Nutella, jam, etc.,鈥� notes Lim.

Bitter Chocolate and Sea Salt Sticky Bites

(Makes 12 servings)

• 1 cup uncooked sticky rice
• 陆 cup uncooked rolled oats
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp bittersweet chocolate (chips or shaved)
• 录 tsp vanilla extract
• Dash of sea salt

Topping

• 2 Tbsp shaved bittersweet chocolate
• 陆 tsp sea salt

Combine oats, rice, and water with a dash of salt in a rice cooker and cook. Let cool to the touch.

In a medium bowl, combine the cooked rice and oats with the remaining ingredients.听Stir to incorporate the flavor throughout the sticky mixture.

Press into an airtight storage container or shape as individual bites. Sprinkle lightly with chocolate and salt.

Benefits: 鈥淭hese delicious bites are energy dense to help replace calories when you鈥檙e on the move,鈥� says Allen Lim, co-author of 听and founder of performance nutrition company, . 鈥淭hey contain 2 grams of protein and 197 milligrams of sodium per serving, but the key ingredient is actually white rice, a rich source of quick-absorbing carbs (20 grams) that鈥檚 also known for being easy on the digestive system.鈥�

Mint Mocha Energy Gel

(Makes 2 servings)

Base Gel

• 8 dates (pitted), soaked in warm water for at least 4 hours
• 1 tsp coconut oil (unrefined)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup (unrefined), or raw honey
• Sprinkle of sea salt

Mint Mocha

• 陆 tsp ground coffee
• 1 tsp cacao/cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp finely diced fresh mint leaves听

Combine Mint Mocha ingredients with the maple syrup from the Base Gel recipe in a food processor, and pulse until the mint leaves are well blended.听Add remaining Base Gel ingredients, and pulse again until smooth.

Pomegranate Lime Gel

• 1 tsp finely grated lime zest
• 2 Tbsp pure pomegranate juice
• 2 tsp lime juice

Blend above ingredients with the Base Gel ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until smooth.

Benefits: 鈥淭hese gels are made from whole food, plant-based sources, so not only do they give you easy-to-digest energy during tough workouts, but they also naturally contain vitamins, minerals and electrolytes,鈥� says Emma Andrews, a registered holistic nutritionist and the national educator for vegan supplement and nutrition company, . Pack in a sturdy plastic bag or hydration flask, and consume one serving (45 grams) every 45 to 60 minutes for activities lasting over an hour.听

Lemon-Lime Quencher

Makes 2 servings

• 3 cups water (or maple water)
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 录 tsp sea salt听

Place all ingredients in a 24-ounce bottle, and shake vigorously (or mix everything together in a blender).

Benefits: 鈥淭he vitamin C in citrus fruit may help reduce inflammation from the chronic stress of exercise. Citrus zest is also rich in fiber and flavonoids that protect your heart by reducing LDL (鈥渂ad鈥�) cholesterol,鈥� says dietitian , co-author of Real Fit Kitchen. Drink this beverage before, during and/or after your workouts.

听

Turmeric Carrot Protein Shake

Makes 1 serving

• 录 to 陆 tsp turmeric powder (or 陆-inch fresh turmeric root)
• 陆 cup grated carrot
• 陆 cup mango
• 陆 cup ice
• 1 cup water
• 1 serving vanilla protein powder

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Benefits: 鈥淭his vibrant post-workout protein recovery shake gives you an antioxidant boost with turmeric, and a sweet taste of the tropics with mango and grated carrot,鈥� notes Morgan Shupe, head chef at Vega. For best muscle-rebuilding results, try to drink within 45 to 90 minutes of finishing your workout.

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Sometimes going back to basics is not a bad thing. Rather than stocking up on a million different things at the grocery store, for example, you could focus on a few high-quality items, save a little money, and still enjoy healthy, satisfying, delicious, power-boosting meals every week. We asked nutrition coach , author of , what she thinks should be on your short list, plus what to do with those ingredients once you get them. Shop for these five staples, and you'll be ready to make the most of ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen.

The Ingredients

1. Oatmeal
Athletes need plenty of complex carbohydrates to help fuel their activities.听Unprocessed whole听grains听like oatmeal听are a great source. Oatmeal is also high in iron, vitamin B6, and soluble fiber. Plus, it鈥檚 simple to cook and can be dressed up in lots of different ways, so it never has to get old or boring.

2. Avocado
Avocado听is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, a type of fat that鈥檚 also found in olive oil and is shown to help lower cholesterol. Avocado听is听also very high in fiber and potassium, an important electrolyte that athletes lose in sweat.

3. Nuts and Nut Butters
Nuts and nut butters are an athlete鈥檚 best friend. They travel well and pack a ton of nutrition into a small package, which helps keep hikers, cyclists, runners, and others supplied with much-needed energy while they鈥檙e being active outdoors. Different nuts carry different nutrient profiles, but they鈥檙e all great sources of unsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber, and most are high in minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.

4. Chickpeas
These versatile legumes provide athletes with both carbohydrates and protein, along with a hefty dose of belly-filling fiber and a vegetarian source of iron.

5. Eggs
One of the highest-quality sources of protein available, eggs are easy to cook and provide lasting appetite satisfaction. They also offer more than a dozen vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, D, E, and B12.

The Recipes鈥�

Skillet Eggs with Peppers and Gr鈥媏en Onions
Makes two servings.

• Olive oil spray
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 green onions, sliced (green and white parts)
• 4 omega-3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley

Preparation

1. Coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil spray, add peppers and onions, and cook over medium heat until soft.
2.听Using a spatula, make four听wells in the vegetables.听Crack an egg into each well.
3.听Cook until the egg whites are almost completely set. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low.
4.听Let simmer for three听minutes. Poke one of the yolks to see if they鈥檙e set. Cook an additional one听to two minutes if necessary.听
5.听When ready, sprinkle with herbs and divide between two plates.

Per serving: 165 calories,听10 grams fat,听143 grams sodium,听6 grams carbs,听13 grams protein

Chunky Avocado and Chickpea Salad
Makes two听servings.

• 1 avocado
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Preparation

1.听Mash the avocado in a bowl with a fork.
2.听Add chickpeas and mash everything together.
3.听Stir in parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
4.听Serve with crackers, pita, bell peppers, or your favorite chopped veggies.

Per serving: 380 calories,听19 grams fat,听280 milligrams sodium,听44 grams听carbs,听15 grams protein

鈥婥runchy Roasted Chickpeas鈥�
Makes three听servings.

• 1 15-ounce听can chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon听garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon听cayenne pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.听
2. Drain chickpeas and rinse well with water. Blot with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
3.听Transfer chickpeas to a bowl.听Add oil and spices, stirring to coat.
4.听Spread chickpeas on a baking sheet.听Bake for 20 minutes.
5.听Stir, then bake for another five听to ten听minutes听or until they鈥檙e crisp but not burnt.

Per serving: 180 calories,听3 grams fat,听32 grams carbs, 7 grams听protein

鈥嬧�婼picy Peanut Sauce
Makes six听servings.

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 tablespoons (or 1/4听cup) natural peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon听honey
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 鈥�1/4听teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preparation

1.听In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine broth, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper.
2. Stir and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.听
3. Serve sauce hot听with grilled chicken, steak, or shrimp.

Per serving: 83 calories,听5 grams fat,听285 milligrams sodium,听5 grams carbs,听3 grams protein

Banana Walnut Oatmeal
Makes one听serving.

• 1/2听cup quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1 cup skim,听1%, or nondairy milk
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 1 tablespoon听chopped walnuts
• Dash of vanilla extract
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 90 seconds.听Stir and microwave for an additional 90 seconds.

Per serving: 335 calories,听7 grams fat,听121 milligrams sodium,听54 grams carbs,听15 grams protein

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It鈥檚 an all-too-familiar scene: you鈥檙e 19 miles into a marathon, feeling good (for the most part), loose, physically and mentally strong, and then all of a sudden, you reach mile 20, and everything starts to crumble. Your muscles ache, your head hurts, your feet throb, your stomach groans鈥攜ou鈥檙e fatigued, and you鈥檝e hit a giant wall. Now you just need to climb over it. No problem, as long as you鈥檝e taught your body how to successfully work out when you’re tired (aka fatigue training). Here’s how.

Pros and Cons of Pushing Through a Workout When You’re Tired

鈥淔or many longer events (half-marathons, marathons, Ironmans, etc.), you can鈥檛 practice the full distance in training,鈥� says , head coach for RunnersConnect. 鈥淵ou need to train tired in order to simulate what the last 10K or so will feel like and to learn how to handle those specific demands during the race.鈥�

Training tired can be tricky, though. There’s some evidence to suggest that it increases your risk of injury, says physiologist Darren Paul, author of a recent injury prevention training article published in . 鈥淧lus, energy levels are depleted, and you become slower in your reaction and decision-making time, which will also likely impact your ability to perform.鈥� Approach it properly, however, and it may make you a better athlete. 鈥淭raining through this response results in better maintenance of strength and improved postural control.鈥�

Endurance athletes aren鈥檛 the only ones who can benefit from pushing past fatigue during their workouts. Paul’s research shows that soccer players who performed strength or balance exercises at the end of their training sessions rather than at the beginning were less negatively impacted by fatigue during their matches.

All athletes can also see psychological benefits from pushing beyond their physical limits. 鈥淲hen you learn to withstand fatigue and make it through something difficult, it gives you confidence. It鈥檚 empowering and shows you that you can do more than you likely thought you could,鈥� says Michele Olson, a professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama.

How to Workout When You’re Tired鈥攁nd Do It Safely

Here鈥檚 how to workout when tired the right way so that you improve your performance and ultimately reduce your risk of injury鈥攚ithout getting injured in the process.

Be Strategic in Your Planning

Have a well-thought-out, periodized program that meets the demands of whatever specific goal you鈥檙e training for. 鈥淒uring marathon training,鈥� Gaudette says, 鈥渙ne of my favorite methods for introducing accumulated fatigue is to stick to a shorter, steady-paced run in the day before a long run.

For example, you run six miles at marathon pace on the Saturday before your Sunday long run. That way, you don鈥檛 start your long run at zero miles, but rather at six or eight miles, since that is the level of fatigue and glycogen depletion your body is carrying over from the previous workout.鈥�

Focus On Your Form

鈥淚f you can push through fatigue while maintaining proper form, that鈥檚 the ultimate [goal]. However, form has to come first, and if you鈥檙e going too hard or too fast to keep it in check, then you need to slow it back down,鈥� says Olson. Practice good posture (for runners: shoulders back, chest up, spine tall, abs engaged), and try not to go harder or heavier than your plan entails.

Stack Your Workouts On Top of Each Other

One common way to experience training through fatigue, especially among triathletes, is to do bricks. 鈥淏ricks are workouts in which you perform a certain type of movement, like biking, and then do another movement that uses complementary muscles, like running, immediately afterward, which forces your body to adapt quickly,鈥� says , a physical therapist and athletic trainer.

Don鈥檛 Push Too Hard

鈥淧ushing through fatigue does not mean doing three days of PR-paced running in a row,鈥� notes Olson. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e losing sleep, your heart is racing, or you feel extremely weak and light-headed, then you could be overtraining, and it could result in injury or illness.鈥� If that happens, back off from training and talk to your doctor.

Add Plenty of Recovery to Your Routine

鈥淭raining is a balance of fatiguing one鈥檚 self, recovering, and then gaining fitness as a result of that stress,鈥� says Norman. 鈥淭he problem occurs when the training becomes too much, or intensities are maintained for too long without having the appropriate amount of recovery built in.鈥�

For runners, Gaudette recommends taking a rest week every five or six weeks, during which you cut down your mileage by 65 to 75 percent and reduce the intensity of your workouts to help your body recover and adapt to your training.

The post Training When You鈥檙e Tired Will Make You a Better Athlete appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

For spectators at the 2015 USA Track and Field (USATF) Indoor Championships last month, there was nothing surprising about seeing the super-fit woman with a flower in her hair win the 600m finals, . But unlike everyone else on the track, that winner, Alysia Monta帽o, gave birth to a daughter just six months earlier. This was her first big race since then.

And while Monta帽o, 28, may be the most recent runner to come back blazing after having a baby, she is definitely not the first. In fact, not only have several big-name runners come back fast, they’ve returned stronger than before baby, leading some physiologists to speculate that hormonal changes after pregnancy let women train harder.

Marathoner Paula Radcliffe nine months postpartum. Olympian Kara Goucher , seven months after the birth of her son. And runner Clara Horowitz Peterson, who is now pregnant with her fourth child, just four months after delivering her second baby. Are they simply genetically blessed, or can regular runners also bounce back that fast?

There is no real research that shows exactly how long women should wait to exercise after giving birth. According to听听from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, physical activity can be “resumed as soon as physically and medically safe.鈥澨�

Experts say the amount of time it takes to return to pre-pregnancy fitness is directly related to how active you were going into and during your pregnancy. That bodes well for athletes who regularly train for hours every day, and often up until they鈥檙e eight or nine months pregnant, says Aaron Baggish, M.D., associate director of the cardiovascular performance program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the co-medical director for the Boston Marathon.

鈥淢ost women should expect at least six months to get back to their pre-pregnancy fitness levels, if not a year,鈥� says Baggish. 鈥淪ome do it faster, but know that that鈥檚 not normal.鈥�

Monta帽o had a uniquely speedy recovery. 鈥淭his was my first pregnancy, but I know my body, and there鈥檚 no way I would鈥檝e been able to come back and feel like myself again so quickly if I hadn鈥檛 been able to keep an active routine while I was pregnant,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 had a good base to start with, plus my legs were so much stronger after basically working out with a weight vest on for nine and a half months.鈥�

One potential issue with starting postpartum training up too soon, Baggish says, is that hormones produced during pregnancy make muscles more lax, making joints hyper-mobil. This excessive flexibility can put you at risk for injuries.听鈥淭he biggest thing in the beginning is that you鈥檙e looking for that rubber band effect when running, but your joints and ligaments feel loose and your hip flexors are not as snappy as they were before giving birth,鈥� says Monta帽o.

Pregnancy can also wreak havoc on core-stabilizing muscles, says physical therapist Jill Thein-Nissenbaum, who has researched the effects of pregnancy on runners鈥� biomechanics. 鈥淵ou need to teach your core how to activate again, and minimize movement in your pelvis soon after giving birth to help minimize low back and hip pain,鈥� she says.听

Once Monta帽o received clearance from her doctor (about one week postpartum), the Indoor 600m American Record Holder (1:23.59) began performing a series of core-stabilizing exercises daily called .听

Two weeks in, she started to incorporate low-impact activities, like swimming and the ElliptiGo. Run/walks were introduced in weeks five and six, with a goal of completing up to 30 minutes (walk five minutes, run one minute; walk four minutes, run two minutes, etc.) three times a week, decreasing the amount of walking and increasing the amount of running every workout. By weeks seven and eight, Monta帽o was running 30 minutes every other day.

Mo帽tano kicked into official training mode about nine weeks after giving birth鈥攆ast by anyone鈥檚 standards, but not ill-advised given her pre-birth fitness levels; she raced the 800 meters at the USATF Outdoor Championships last June, when she was 8.5 months pregnant. (.)听

Still, that doesn’t mean age groupers should compare themselves to Mo帽tano. In addition to听physiological changes, you’ll face a lack of sleep, breastfeeding (training hard can actually reduce your ability to produce enough milk), and stress as a new mom, so it’s perfectly normal to take six months or more to get back in shape.听鈥淔or best results,”听says Baggish, “wait until your body [and mind] feels fully recovered, then start back slowly, gradually.鈥� 听听

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Few runners have a portfolio as diverse as Sara Hall’s.

The 31-year-old was a seven-time All-American at Stanford University, competed in the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Trials, and the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2012 Trials. She also won the . However, when it comes to longer-distance races, she’s primarily stayed on the sidelines and cheered for her husband, Olympic marathoner and U.S. half marathon record-holder .

Until now.

Hall will make her marathon debut at the this Sunday. And she’ll be in good company:听Along with Hall, about half the runners at the L.A. event will be running their first marathon.

Hall had originally planned to run her first marathon last fall, but a burst appendix pushed her plans back half a year. But she took the setback in stride. She had surgery, took two weeks off, then refocused on Los Angeles. And training has gone well. Since the incident, she鈥檚 PR鈥檇 in a 10K (32:13), 12K (38:48), and half-marathon (1:10:50), and ran to a fourth-place finish at the U.S. Half Marathon Championships in January.

We caught up with Hall while she was training at 9,000 feet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to talk about making the jump to the marathon.听

OUTSIDE: Why did you decide to run a marathon?
HALL: I鈥檝e always wanted to run a full. I鈥檝e watched a lot of Ryan鈥檚 races by now, and it looks amazing. It was just a matter of finding the right timing for me to do one. I thought 2014 was when I would run it, because there was a break from the Outdoor Championships on the track. And it would allow me enough time to train for the Olympic Trials if I thought I had a legitimate shot to make the team. But then my appendix burst and I had to push back my training.

What are some of the key differences you鈥檝e noticed in training for the full versus the half marathon?
The biggest difference for me has been mental, actually. When I was doing more track stuff, and even training for the half, you鈥檙e kind of still training more like a 10K runner. I have an aggressive personality, and I like to start my intervals really hard and my tempos really fast, and I get off the line quickly. I also try to run courses in the direction that鈥檚 the fastest, like with the wind or downhill, and that鈥檚 kind of a track-runner mentality. So Ryan鈥檚 helped me adjust that, teaching me that it鈥檚 not about training to run fast, but rather learning how to tough it out and run up the hills and suffer through it. The L.A. Marathon is a challenging course, with quite a few hills.

Did you have to ease your way into the distance and increased weekly mileage?
It was gradual, but I did it a lot by feel. My coach would give me a bit less, but if I was feeling good, I had the green light to add on more mileage as I felt appropriate. The farthest I would go before was probably 80-some miles in one week, and now the highest was around 112.

I鈥檝e been in a really good groove the last four months, where running has barely been a struggle, so I鈥檝e been enjoying piling it on, and my body has absorbed it and handled it really well. If I ever feel like I鈥檓 starting to get run-down, then I鈥檒l adjust my mileage. But I try to stack the most mileage and the most intensity on my hard days, so I鈥檓 recovering more on the other days.听

With that added distance, would you say that you鈥檝e needed to put a bigger emphasis on recovery between your workouts?
I鈥檝e actually had to recover less. I think my body has responded better to the marathon training than it did to my track training: I would get more beat up from my track workouts. I can run 15 miles the day after a hard session, work out hard the next day, and be ready to go. Sometimes you hit periods where that鈥檚 not possible. But I still try to put two easy days between my biggest workouts that I鈥檓 really trying to hit, like a 15-mile tempo run, even if I don鈥檛 feel like I need it. Other than that, it鈥檚 just one recovery day per week.

The L.A. Marathon is a hilly race. How do you prepare yourself for that terrain?
I definitely haven鈥檛 been shying away from the hills in my training. I鈥檝e been in Ethiopia for a good amount of my preparation, and everything is hilly there. I鈥檓 hoping that鈥檚 prepared me well. I鈥檝e also been trying to work on the downhills, because those can actually be worse than the uphills鈥攊t creates a lot of pounding. I鈥檝e tried to really build my quad strength, in the weight room and with other exercises, to try and get them ready.

What kind of role does nutrition play now that you鈥檙e running longer distances?
I try to pay attention to my nutrition, but I eat pretty normal and don鈥檛 feel like I鈥檓 ever depriving myself. I don鈥檛 eat gluten-free or raw or Paleo or anything like that. I鈥檝e found that it鈥檚 all about timing. I eat pancakes before I work out鈥擱yan created the recipe. [Muscle Milk sponsors the Halls.] I also blend butter into my coffee, which I drink with the pancakes. It鈥檚 really filling and gives me energy.

Fortunately, I have an iron stomach, which is a blessing for the marathon. Right after you work out鈥攚ithin 30 minutes of finishing your run鈥攊s a great time to eat sugary things, so I鈥檓 always getting in those foods that I love, like cookies or pastries, then I鈥檒l have some Muscle Milk for protein, which helps with recovery. And then within the next two hours, I鈥檒l have an actual meal. It鈥檚 also important to practice what you鈥檙e going to do on race day while you鈥檙e training. On my long runs, I drink [also a sponsor], which contains a mix of different types of sugars, making it easier for your muscles to absorb the energy.

How has it been training for the same distance as Ryan? Do you guys work out together?
We have different coaches, but Ryan has been pretty instrumental in my preparation for this race and lending his advice because he knows more about the marathon than most people. It鈥檚 been a fun thing for us to work on together, and I can ask him questions all day long, especially about finding the right effort levels and what to prioritize, energy-wise. We鈥檙e doing a lot of warm-ups and cool-downs together. And every now and then his long-run pace will match up with my tempo pace, or something like that, and we鈥檒l get to do that together, too.

A lot of couples have a difficult time running together. Any secrets on how to not drive each other crazy during the workout?
I think the main thing is that if one of you is feeling good, everyone has to be okay with that person going ahead. For example, if I鈥檓 feeling bouncier than Ryan one day because he had a really hard workout the day before, it鈥檚 often better for me to turn around and run in the opposite direction than to be two-stepping him on the run. So that can be a good way to avoid conflict, to be able to turn to your partner and say, 鈥淕o ahead, fly on.鈥�

What about racing strategy? Are you planning on tackling this race the same way you would a half?
I haven鈥檛 nailed down an exact strategy yet, but I鈥檓 probably going to run by feel more than anything else, which is what I usually do. It鈥檚 a little different than the track, where you have to be on the group and don鈥檛 want to miss a break. It鈥檚 a little more relaxed than that. My main goal is just to finish the last six miles strong鈥擨 want to run the race in a way that allows me to do that.

What are you most looking forward to in L.A.?
I鈥檓 looking forward to crossing the line and officially being a marathoner. Hopefully, I鈥檒l be running fast across the finish and not fading.

Any other tips on how to successfully make the transition from a half to a full marathon?
I started by trying to run my long runs harder, not even trying to run them farther, which made me want to run longer and got me excited about marathon training. I also would say to find a good physical therapist, just to make sure you鈥檙e avoiding injury. I鈥檓 thankful to have a great team. And make sure you get your shoes fitted (like get a gait analysis at your local running store), so you鈥檙e putting in all of those miles in the right kind of shoes for you.

Sara Hall is dedicating her race at the L.A. Marathon to raising money for , in an effort to bring clean water to people in Ethiopia.

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As with all things Paleo-centric, what鈥檚 old is new again. First there were stories about coconut oil and butter . Now it鈥檚 soup. Long touted as a tool to help fight illness and inflammation, bone broth鈥攁 basic soup made with animal bones, among other ingredients鈥�is trending among the smoothie-drinking, health-conscious crowd as a . But endurance athletes have been sipping stock for centuries.听

鈥淗omemade bone broth is an excellent source of minerals, like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium, in forms that your body can easily absorb. It鈥檚 also rich in amino acids, collagen and anti-inflammatory compounds, like chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine,鈥� says sports nutritionist Melissa Hartwig, author of It Starts with Food and co-creator of the听听diet.听鈥淭hese nutrients improve digestion, aid in muscle repair and growth, reduce joint pain, promote a balanced nervous system, and strengthen the immune system.鈥�

Granted, some nutritionists argue that many of the health claims surrounding bone broth aren鈥檛 backed by research, such as stock having anti-inflammatory properties or helping with GI issues; however, one undeniable benefit is the presence of extra minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which are important for bone health and muscle function, and are not naturally bountiful in the dairy-free Paleo diet, says Leslie Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the听.

Another nutritional bonus is its high sodium content鈥攇ood for athletes training for or participating in a long-distance race.听

鈥淭here鈥檚 a reason broth is served at aid stations during the run portion of an Ironman triathlon,鈥� says sports dietitian . 鈥淭oward the end of a race, you鈥檝e lost a lot of salt from sweat and need to replace it in order to prevent muscle cramping and dizziness, but keeping up with your sodium intake is hard, especially because you鈥檙e sick of consuming so many sweet, sugary things, like gels and sports drinks. Sipping some broth at that point could play a role in maintaining your fluid balance,鈥� Antonucci says, because sodium helps the body retain fluid.听

听found that athletes prefer savory over sweet tasting foods later on in an ultra-endurance running event, making broth a no-brainer choice for tired competitors. It doesn鈥檛 matter if it鈥檚 warm or cold, organic, veggie, chicken or beef鈥攕o long as it contains plenty of sodium, it will help you, Antonucci says.

Just remember that a little goes a long way: One four-ounce serving provides at least 200mg of sodium, on average, which is more than three times the amount in a packet of regular Gu. 鈥淐onsuming just a sip or so at a time [every hour or so] is sufficient,鈥� says Antonucci. 鈥淚f you know you鈥檙e a salty sweater, you could take in a bit more, but in general, broth is something that you won鈥檛 need unless you鈥檙e going to be active for multiple hours at a time.鈥澨�

And don鈥檛 forget to accompany it with additional fluids, foods, and electrolyte replacements, like sports drinks, water and gels, chews, or bars when you鈥檙e racing, says Bonci. 鈥淚f broth was your only source of fuel during a prolonged activity, you wouldn鈥檛 be consuming adequate amounts of carbs or calories.鈥澨�

Endurance athletes looking for broth鈥檚 sodium kick can buy boxed veggie, chicken, and beef stock at any grocery store, though some broth pundits would argue that the boxed stuff doesn鈥檛 impart the same health benefits as homemade stock. You can 听or make your own with Hartwig鈥檚 easy recipe:

The Ultimate Bone Broth Recipe for Athletes

Ingredients

听

• 4 quarts water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 large onions, unpeeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh parsley
• 2-3 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• 2-4 lbs. meat or poultry bones

听

Place all ingredients in a large pot on medium-high heat, or in a large slow cooker set on high. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 12 to 24 hours. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl and discard the waste. Let it cool, and then place the bowl (uncovered) in the fridge for several hours, until the fat rises to the top and hardens.听Scrape off the fat with a spoon, reheat your broth and serve. (You can also add leeks, pepper, red pepper flakes, rosemary, thyme, sage and/or ginger.)

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