Running's Small Barrier to Entry, Off-Seasons, & Less Hurry

Newsletter 6/23/23

Each week, I dive into what I'm thinking, learning, & experiencing in my running journey. If you'd like to subscribe to receive these free weekly newsletters, you can do so here. Enjoy!

What I'm Thinking

Running's Small Barrier to Entry

My belief is that more people would be running if they understood how small the barrier to entry truly is. I spoke with a 61 year old two days ago who hadn't ran in decades who told me he was shocked he could do the beginner running plan I give out for free.

We see elite marathoners online or on TV ripping 5:00 splits & think, "Yeah..I'm definitely not a runner." What we don't often see is situations like above where the new runner is run-walking outside, dipping their toes in the sport for the very first time.

Both of these are running - and that is one reason I think this sport is awesome.

What I'm Doing

Less is More in the Off-Season

My personal training mantra is,

• Lower intensity, higher volume running
• Higher intensity, lower volume strength training

The past 3 months, I've been selling out on Zone 2 training (staying within a range of ~60-75% of my max heart rate), building a stronger aerobic base with lots of very slow & easy running - usually 1-1.5 hours a day. I've also recently decreased the days I strength train from 4 to 3 per week. I've done both of these things in an effort to further buy in to the above mantra; and so far, my body generally feels more fresh & energized.

I'll be running a half marathon in October, so we'll see how it pays off. (IMT Des Moines on 10/15/23 - let me know if you'll be there!)

What I'm Reading

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - John Mark Comer

We're in a society seeking more, more, more, all the time. Bombarded by advertisements every day. Always in a hurry to complete our massive to-do lists. Constantly seeking "the next thing". 

It's valuable to find ways to have peace in the midst of this chaos - and also ways to escape this chaos. Running provides this mini-escape for me. The peace and solitude it gives are much-needed.

This book has been a big wake-up call with tons of practical and valuable insights. Highly recommend.

Hope you enjoyed this (first ever!) newsletter. Always feel free to reach out for topics you'd like to see covered. You can subscribe to receive these newsletters below.

-Casey