A Well-Intentioned Squirrel
Happy Friday, friends!
I'm having a ton of fun both writing and running this calendar year. It's off to a busy start! A couple of updates for those of you following along:
- Book Update - We're getting close to handing this sucker off to an editor. A few more chapters to do final edits on (I've changed some formatting) and then one good self-read-through. Great days ahead!
- Running Update - I might very well be on my way to the big one. Yeah, the big 100. Let's get through a few more weeks of training before we spend money on a race entry. Great days ahead!
Now, on to this week's Run One Mile:
💬 "Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness." - Edward Stanley
🤔 Context Is Everything
Back when I was a younger Jeffrey, I was a track runner. Specifically, I did sprints. Now, this is hilarious for a number of reasons. The moment stuck in my mind was at a large track meet in Gwinnett County when I was significantly the last place runner. I heard from the stands, "Run, white boy, RUN!"
Much later, I found out I like to run for a very, very long time.
Training for these distances, I never really ran past one or two miles. But my strategy that extended into college was running in the heat of the Georgia summer. The sun, humidity, and heat would crush me every day.
There was a night when I was particularly stressed. About what, I don't remember (a good indicator that it really wasn't worth stressing that much about). But in my stress, I took off on a run. It was Fall, so the temperatures had cooled off.
What's interesting: I ran a half marathon that night.
I had scarcely been over 2 miles at a time. How did I pull off 13.1 miles? The context was different. The temperature, heat, and humidity had all plummeted. The results were that I was actually stronger than I thought I was.
Context is everything. More specifically:
- Do you know when you're at your best?
- Do you know when you're at your worst?
- Do you know when to have a hard conversation versus leave it alone for now?
- Do you know when to give maximum effort and when to catch your breath?
- Do you know when your good intentions will be poorly received because of everything else going on?
Good intentions without consideration for the context is death. (just ask the well-intentioned squirrel crossing the street during my drive a few weeks back)
🏃🏻♂️ Running Gear: Where To Save and Where To Spend
You might have heard the expression "Buy once. Cry once."
This is a personal finance thought where you want to buy a quality enough product that you don't have to buy another one later, even if it's expensive upfront. With two kids under three, there's not a lot of hobby money at the moment. So, here's where I spend and here's where I save:
Spend Money On:
- Shoes - This is the key when it comes to staying healthy and injury free. (unless you're this guy who likes to run without shoes)
- Watch - It doesn't have to be $700, but a good running watch will do wonders for GPS tracking, heart rate, elevation, etc. I like Coros.
- Vest - If you get to ultra-distance, you'll need a vest. I bought a $30 vest off Amazon and replaced it two months later. The money here pays off in easy-to-use, comfortable, lightweight gear.
Save Money On:
- Clothes - Get what works, but Amazon brands are cheap and good quality
- Food/Electrolytes - You can get relatively inexpensive, good for most cases food and hydration. I run with a Gatorade and beef jerky. I have the fancy stuff for race day, but I don't need to consume the nice gus and Tailwind on a 5 mile training run.
- Headphones - I love to run with music. But I've put hours in the rain and ruined a good pair of AirPods. Buy a knockoff pair of headphones that you won't be sad about breaking.
See you on the trails!
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Just run one mile... because one mile inevitably turns to two... Then, to three... And before you know it, you're running further than you ever dreamed.