I’m training for a marathon again – my first since injuring my foot in 2019 – which means it’s time to make a plan. Marathons don’t happen by accident nor by chance. 26.2 is a deeply intentional distance, and preparing for the race requires a combination of science, superstition, logic, preference and luck. To date … Continue reading Exit Strategy
Embracing Mediocrity
This post is a failure. Already by posting it today, I’ve failed. A longtime fan of New Year’s intentions, on January 1st I set a goal to publish one essay every calendar month. As achievable as I expected this goal to be, I struggled several times to try and finish this post. I sat down … Continue reading Embracing Mediocrity
Next Steps
Yesterday I had a good run – a really good run. It was the kind of run where mind, body and weather all cooperate. The kind of run where you dressed exactly right for the temperature. The kind of run where the only other people out are friendly or have cute dogs (or both). The … Continue reading Next Steps
Wildwood E2E Gear
One month ago today I hiked Wildwood End-to-End. After sharing my recap of the hike, I received a lot of questions on my gear. I’ll return soon to waxing philosophical about life through the lens of running, but enjoy my most literal and pragmatic post to date: all you ever wanted to know about the … Continue reading Wildwood E2E Gear
Wildwood E2E
It’s been a few weeks since I completed Wildwood End-to-End. The soreness has passed, but I’m still processing what it means to stare down a goal and face it one step at a time. I started at the trailhead near the Oregon Zoo at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, August 17th and walked the first mile … Continue reading Wildwood E2E
Wildwood Eve
Tomorrow I will be covering the farthest distance of my life on foot – just over 30 miles from end to end of the Wildwood Trail. This has been a bucket list goal since I moved to Portland, and training has been a salve on an otherwise rough year. This last year and a half … Continue reading Wildwood Eve
Taking A Different Path
For the majority of my adult life, I’ve defined myself as a runner in a way that is central to my identity. Running has driven my wardrobe, my diet, my social life. This path has served me well and is the foundation for many of my closest friendships. There’s real value in belonging to a … Continue reading Taking A Different Path
Unimpressive
I’ve never met a problem I can’t outwork. .. Challenging deadline? Pour some coffee and buckle down. Committee needs a volunteer? Sign me up. Fitness starting to slip? Register for another marathon. ... When I injured my foot two years ago, I channeled that pain into rehabilitation. Weekend long runs were replaced by diligent lap … Continue reading Unimpressive
Your Body Is Fine.
Before you read any further, please know that your body is fine. Over the next few days and weeks, every weight loss scam and #fitspo influencer will try to tell you that you need to lose weight, or have a weird low calorie version of pie, or “earn” your turkey before you enjoy it. As … Continue reading Your Body Is Fine.
Both / And
A little over a month ago I ran my second half marathon of quarentine, and two weeks ago I ran a 10k. I didn’t post about either on Facebook. I’ve been engaging less and less on social media lately, and have hardly been writing at all. The world (and specifically my city of Portland) have … Continue reading Both / And
Racing the Hare 