Kent Luu Runs Naked

Here is a look into Naked Sports Innovations ambassador Kent Wei Luu. He shares how his year has been going, his routine and how he uses his Naked gear to enrich his performance. Kent is originally from California and is currently based on the island of Penang, Malaysia.

What is your biggest goal you are working to achieve?

My biggest goal is to heal up from a decade of training. All those years of running up and down mountains, roads, and tracks, without any extended time to heal, really did a number on my left ankle. There's no pain whatsoever, however I have so much scar tissue build up and it was restricting my range of motion. Since Covid hit, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to truly rehabilitate: not just my ankle, but to let the other systems recoup as well: cardiovascular, skeletal-muscular, endocrine, immune, and etc.

How often do you train?

It really depends on the month. If I am re-establishing my base, it's usually around 20-23/days a month. If I'm increasing volume, then around 24-26/days a month.

What’s your pre run routine?

I am currently living in hot and humid conditions year round. Because of this, my muscles and joints are pretty loose to begin with. I usually start my runs with a nice slow jog anywhere from 10-25 mins.

What is your routine for post workout rehabilitation?

After runs, I always like to stretch (static) so that my muscles can set in a more elongated state. Along a few of my routes, there are streams with deep enough pools where the water reaches my chest. From there, the stretching is optimal due to the weightlessness of being submerged. I can get much deeper in my stretches!

Any special tips or diet that helps your performance?

I feel the best when I eat real food. Nothing in a box, can, or whatever that's shelf stable (minus rice/pasta/dried goods). When I think of nutrition, and fueling for performance, I always go back and look at what our ancestors ate. The Maasai in Eastern Africa, the Innuit in North America, and the Mongolians who almost conquered all of Asia. They ate pretty low-carb, and were able to function in extreme weather for extended periods of time. Being fat-adapted is key to endurance events. I add in carbohydrates as needed, especially before a hard tempo where glycolytic demands are high.

How do your Naked products help your specific performance?

I love how both the Naked Running Vest and Band give me the feeling of freedom. There's no added weight, nothing bouncing around, just the bare essentials to truly fly. If need be, I can pack in enough to tackle a 100k. If that's not the case, and I'm just doing an easy 20k and need a flask, it's still the same gear. The ability for Naked's products to truly fit any fitness occasion is monumental in that it's a piece of gear that caters to so many situations. Recently, I have introduced rock climbing as a way to rehabilitate my tendons and muscles and wow, having the assurance packing gear in a manner that's sleek and form fitting makes all the difference.

Any upcoming events in your life you wish to share with us?

For the rest of this year, I am base building as so much of the world's races have been put on hold. I am pretty certain that I will be moving islands (from Penang, Malaysia to Jeju, Korea) in 2021. This will be the first time in 10 years that I will get to train in a temperate climate, very similar to California where I was born and raised. Because of the drastic drop in temperate, I'll be able to perform at a much higher level as well as having reduced recovery times. I expect to make huge gains in 2021 and am excited to put NAKED SPORTS INNOVATIONS on the map. In addition, I have been improving my filmmaking skills and have a short film coming out in a few weeks. Please be sure to check it out on my Youtube channel @theactivelifelived I'm excited to create a piece that showcases Naked in a way that the world has yet to see/feel/connect with.

What is your favorite Naked performance product?

Naked Running Vest, hands down. The 2.0 looks amazing! I can't wait to get my hands on it!