At long last, the marathon is tomorrow. The wonderful, terrible, glorious distance I’ve finally clawed my way back to. Approximately 10,000 of us will be running on the same course, but we took 10,000 unique paths to the starting line. Some of the runners are professional athletes who have trained at an elite level few … Continue reading Back at the Starting Line
Category: Running
All Consuming
Running a marathon is all consuming, they say – I am they, as I’ve written about this often (here for example). 26.2 is out of reach for the casual athlete, so preparing for race day requires a high level of preparation. Over the course of several months, the longest weekly run gradually increases in distance, … Continue reading All Consuming
Let’s Try This Again
I’m running 20 miles tomorrow. I’ve been here before – many times – but this time feels different. The last time I covered this distance was 2019 on my final long run of Eugene Marathon training, where I infamously injured my foot. I legitimately didn’t know if I could ever run this far again, and … Continue reading Let’s Try This Again
Exit Strategy
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
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 