Good morning, friends! ☀️ I don’t know what the weather’s like where you live, but where I live here in Atlanta, January (and the first couple of days of February) have been a mix of cloudy skies, persistent rain, and just an overall feeling of blecchhhh. I’m in need of a pick-me-up, something that’ll get my juices flowing, get that feeling of enthusiasm and excitement going again — whether it’s to get out for a run, to do anything physically really.
So that got me thinking: what is the song — or story, or album, or movie, or book, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction — that you turn to when you’re in need of a change in your emotional and mental scenery? How do you rouse yourself for life, as it were?
After being away from running for eight weeks due to shattering my elbow on a trail up @ Stowe (black ice real, peeps) getting the clear from my hand surgeon to “run” was all the inspiration I needed—slow and cautious three-miler yesterday felt amazing! I’m sure I’ll need more inspiration down the road but for now, just being able to run again while I continue to rehab my elbow/hand is inspirational 💜
I've recorded marathons from previous years and watch them again. It's not as exciting but it motivates me to train harder... even though I'll never be in their class.
The back of my house faces a nature trail (real reason why I bought the house) and when I look and see someone running in “my” trail :) it makes me want to run. Other runners inspire me.
I’m pretty much a self-motivator. I use results monitoring to give myself the kick in the pants I often need. I set performances targets for the month and the year. I measure myself against the targets on the last two days of the month - running on day one and strength on day two.
The first measure is body weight. I’m 5’10” and 73 years old. My target weight is 165 and I use a range from 163 is too little to sustain long-run performance and 170 is the panic button. Today’s weigh-in was 168, and I will be heading for the gym after finishing this post.
The second measure is vanity. The exit from the shower faces a mirror where bulges and sags are evident. That helps point out areas that need attention. (I’ll be traveling to Europe this summer and will need to look good in my Speedo).
I keep daily records to see how I’m doing against the dreadmill and the resistance weight training machines over time. I keep 10 years of results in my log. My current goals are to get back to where I was about three years ago before the pandemic shut gyms and races down and about six months on the bench following orthopedic repairs.
One other motivation is I never want to cancel or fail on a race I have signed up for. I refuse to suffer the self-imposed stigma of being entered in the race record as a no-show or riding the sag wagon to a DNF. Age group award or die. Pride is, indeed, a harsh motivator and one of the deadly sins.
Great question! I find this newsletter inspirational! I also turn to Marakami's _What I Talk about when I Talk about Running_, Shapiro's _Zen and the Art of Running_, and Bascomb's _The Perfect Mile_.
I turn to music and watching films about athletic journeys to get motivated! Never social media but that’s a personal preference. I love Across the Tracks for running and Warrior just in general. Songs like Overload by Voodoo & Serrano, The Trooper by Iron Maiden, and The Voice by the Moody Blues are helpful, as well as uplifting film scores like How to Train Your Dragon, Gladiator and The Thirteenth Warrior. ❤️
I follow lots of inspiring ppl on Instagram and other athletes on Strava. Knowing we are all in this together helps keep me strong. I also started swimming—the pool is kind of warm, the pool room is like a summer day, and the chlorine smell just feels like summer. I try to go three times a week. Nice to throw some new stuff in the mix.
Still back in the Hippie days. . . Gordon Lightfoot runs through my head. . . "C'mon Sunshine, what can you show me." Words tend to get me going. The folk songs of the "60s are still around no matter where I go. . .
BTW, weather is "normal" here. Looks like 50s all week, clouds, rain. . . dandelions are not quite out yet. I can live with it as long as we don't go back in the deep freeze again. . . it does happen in February!
Alone in the wall (book) or Free solo (documentary) is quite inspirational. Almost always feel like going for a run after/ while reading and watching it.
So wonderful to hear from you too, Raj! Where in India do you live? I do like the weather; I used to work for The Weather Channel here in the U.S., and I find that I like to hear about the weather in the same way I like to watch local news when I visit other cities and towns -- there's something about it that grounds you in the place you are, rather than feeling like we're digital abstractions, you know? We're not abstractions, we're flesh-and-blood human beings living in real places, and I love learning more about that 😃
Ah, Mumbai! I have been there on Pilgrimage many years ago. We visited an ashram in Pondicherry and the temples in Mumbai. Tamil Nadu is beautiful. . . I guess it got hot afterwards. We left for Hawaii soon after. . .
Because I find parallels between running and writing, I turn towards books on the creative process whenever I need a gentle nudge. I adore Dani Shapiro's memoir 'Still Writing'. Here's one of my favourite quotes:
"Writing saved my life. Writing has been my window -- flung wide open to this magnificent, chaotic existence -- my way of interpreting everything within my grasp. Writing has extended that grasp by pushing me beyond comfort, beyond safety, past my self-perceived limits. It has softened my heart and hardened my intellect. It has been a privilege. It has whipped my ass. It has burned into me a valuable clarity. It has made me think about suffering, randomness, good will, luck, memory responsibility, and kindness, on a daily basis -- whether I feel like it or not. It has insisted that I grow up. That I evolve. It has pushed me to get better, to be better. It is my disease and my cure. It has allowed me not only to withstand the losses in my life but to alter those losses -- to chip away at my own bewilderment until I find the pattern in it."
(I find it difficult to *not* go for a run when I replace 'writing' with 'running' in this quote....)
I swear this is true--I was JUST asking myself if it was time to reread "Still Writing"--apparently, the universe says, it is. Thanks you for this post. And I love the application to running--and other 'hard things."
The “external “ motivators when I was younger were music ( Rocky theme) movies ( Chariots of Fire) events , (Frank Shorter winning the “Olympic Marathon”) and other peers who were “out there, doing hard stuff and getting it done”.
Books also were and continue to be motivating such as “Once a Runner” and “Born to Run” and its sequel.
Now at age 75, I am motivated to keep walking/running a priority to help with sleep as sometimes a tired body will trump an overactive mind.
In addition, I am surrounded by a number of “younger friends” who keep inspiring me as they climb Kilimanjaro and run 200 mile ultras ( Tahoe 200) and do the Grand Canyon rim - to - rim - to rim. When all these external motivators fail me, I meditate and listen to that “quiet, still, small voice” within that always tells me what I need to hear. Usually I listen and end up eating healthier, running more and thriving once again.
Lately, I have been getting energized listening to the song: The Future is Now by Marloe. I like it because it is about a human being declaring their independence from a relationship that wasn’t in their best interest. For me that can be a metaphor for any unhealthy addiction. It is a declaration of our sovereignty and the need to take responsibility for our own lives. Running is one of the many ways we can declare our sovereignty as long as it doesn’t end up controlling us.❗️
Thanks Neal. My precious Dad, who lived until 94 used to say as he aged that “if you live long enough, you see it “all happen”. The good, the bad and yes, the ugly.”
The local sheriff deputies blast the Rocky theme for the runners from their loudspeakers when they notice a running group in the business zone. So awesome!
Those super-long ultras just blow my mind... I have a friend who does them, and I shake my head whenever I'm around him and hear him talk about them. I wonder, how does ANYONE do that?!
I will have to check out "The Future is Now" too -- is it on Spotify or Apple Music?
And yes to this, too: "Running is one of the many ways we can declare our sovereignty as long as it doesn’t end up controlling us" -- anything can become an addiction/unhealthy, you know?
"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
Quote from Hillary "I believe that if you really want something, you must commit yourself to finding a way through the muck. This is what drives me when things get difficult. It's at my core,"
Hillary is pretty remarkable!!!
Songs: Enter Sandman - Metallica, Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden, (My Favorite) Magic Power - Triumph.
Album: The only album you need: Appetite for Destruction - Guns & Roses
I turned 60 a few weeks ago. I've been married for almost 27 years. Early in our marriage when we traveled, I'd see couples older than us on the beach, out at the restaurants. The wives would look fit and healthy. The husbands would often look like 5 pounds of potatoes in a 3 pound sack. I vowed to always be the husband my wife deserves. She's constantly exercising - sculling, running, lifting weights, and eating healthy. What choice do I have other than suffering to stay in shape so I don't become the overstuffed sack of potatoes she is forced to travel with? I also put the toilet seat down, so there is that value-add.
After being away from running for eight weeks due to shattering my elbow on a trail up @ Stowe (black ice real, peeps) getting the clear from my hand surgeon to “run” was all the inspiration I needed—slow and cautious three-miler yesterday felt amazing! I’m sure I’ll need more inspiration down the road but for now, just being able to run again while I continue to rehab my elbow/hand is inspirational 💜
I Dare You by Danforth. Almost a century old and loaded with anachronisms but I still get fired up when I thumbed through
I've recorded marathons from previous years and watch them again. It's not as exciting but it motivates me to train harder... even though I'll never be in their class.
The back of my house faces a nature trail (real reason why I bought the house) and when I look and see someone running in “my” trail :) it makes me want to run. Other runners inspire me.
I’m pretty much a self-motivator. I use results monitoring to give myself the kick in the pants I often need. I set performances targets for the month and the year. I measure myself against the targets on the last two days of the month - running on day one and strength on day two.
The first measure is body weight. I’m 5’10” and 73 years old. My target weight is 165 and I use a range from 163 is too little to sustain long-run performance and 170 is the panic button. Today’s weigh-in was 168, and I will be heading for the gym after finishing this post.
The second measure is vanity. The exit from the shower faces a mirror where bulges and sags are evident. That helps point out areas that need attention. (I’ll be traveling to Europe this summer and will need to look good in my Speedo).
I keep daily records to see how I’m doing against the dreadmill and the resistance weight training machines over time. I keep 10 years of results in my log. My current goals are to get back to where I was about three years ago before the pandemic shut gyms and races down and about six months on the bench following orthopedic repairs.
One other motivation is I never want to cancel or fail on a race I have signed up for. I refuse to suffer the self-imposed stigma of being entered in the race record as a no-show or riding the sag wagon to a DNF. Age group award or die. Pride is, indeed, a harsh motivator and one of the deadly sins.
Love the Speedo comment :)
Great question! I find this newsletter inspirational! I also turn to Marakami's _What I Talk about when I Talk about Running_, Shapiro's _Zen and the Art of Running_, and Bascomb's _The Perfect Mile_.
I’ve read all of these :)
I turn to music and watching films about athletic journeys to get motivated! Never social media but that’s a personal preference. I love Across the Tracks for running and Warrior just in general. Songs like Overload by Voodoo & Serrano, The Trooper by Iron Maiden, and The Voice by the Moody Blues are helpful, as well as uplifting film scores like How to Train Your Dragon, Gladiator and The Thirteenth Warrior. ❤️
I follow lots of inspiring ppl on Instagram and other athletes on Strava. Knowing we are all in this together helps keep me strong. I also started swimming—the pool is kind of warm, the pool room is like a summer day, and the chlorine smell just feels like summer. I try to go three times a week. Nice to throw some new stuff in the mix.
Saw this ... can’t read while you’re running but you can think about it after you have read this man’s story https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/03/sport/gary-mckee-marathon-running-spt-intl
Wow! I guess it gets like brushing your teeth after awhile. . .you miss it if you don't do it! :)
Life is a Highway ... Rascal Flatts ... helps when I hit a wall at Mile9 or 10 in my half marathons
Ha, ha! Stands to reason. Honestly women! Being me, I'd rather like having the smaller bathroom! :)
Happy Pagan Spring!
Groundhog said 6 more weeks of winter in 2023.
Still back in the Hippie days. . . Gordon Lightfoot runs through my head. . . "C'mon Sunshine, what can you show me." Words tend to get me going. The folk songs of the "60s are still around no matter where I go. . .
BTW, weather is "normal" here. Looks like 50s all week, clouds, rain. . . dandelions are not quite out yet. I can live with it as long as we don't go back in the deep freeze again. . . it does happen in February!
I just finished listening to “Miles to Go” podcast with Joan Benoit. Amazing!
I watch trail or ultra running videos on YouTube normally.
Alone in the wall (book) or Free solo (documentary) is quite inspirational. Almost always feel like going for a run after/ while reading and watching it.
So beautiful you share your atmosphere & weather. Cloudly & rainy.
I live in India . Here is cool weather. Now start the spring.
So wonderful to hear from you too, Raj! Where in India do you live? I do like the weather; I used to work for The Weather Channel here in the U.S., and I find that I like to hear about the weather in the same way I like to watch local news when I visit other cities and towns -- there's something about it that grounds you in the place you are, rather than feeling like we're digital abstractions, you know? We're not abstractions, we're flesh-and-blood human beings living in real places, and I love learning more about that 😃
Thank you so much. I live in Mumbai.
Ah, Mumbai! I have been there on Pilgrimage many years ago. We visited an ashram in Pondicherry and the temples in Mumbai. Tamil Nadu is beautiful. . . I guess it got hot afterwards. We left for Hawaii soon after. . .
Thank you so much! Nilima! 👍
Because I find parallels between running and writing, I turn towards books on the creative process whenever I need a gentle nudge. I adore Dani Shapiro's memoir 'Still Writing'. Here's one of my favourite quotes:
"Writing saved my life. Writing has been my window -- flung wide open to this magnificent, chaotic existence -- my way of interpreting everything within my grasp. Writing has extended that grasp by pushing me beyond comfort, beyond safety, past my self-perceived limits. It has softened my heart and hardened my intellect. It has been a privilege. It has whipped my ass. It has burned into me a valuable clarity. It has made me think about suffering, randomness, good will, luck, memory responsibility, and kindness, on a daily basis -- whether I feel like it or not. It has insisted that I grow up. That I evolve. It has pushed me to get better, to be better. It is my disease and my cure. It has allowed me not only to withstand the losses in my life but to alter those losses -- to chip away at my own bewilderment until I find the pattern in it."
(I find it difficult to *not* go for a run when I replace 'writing' with 'running' in this quote....)
I swear this is true--I was JUST asking myself if it was time to reread "Still Writing"--apparently, the universe says, it is. Thanks you for this post. And I love the application to running--and other 'hard things."
That's so beautiful, Pooja! I will have to check out 'Still Writing'!!!
Great question Terrell.....
The “external “ motivators when I was younger were music ( Rocky theme) movies ( Chariots of Fire) events , (Frank Shorter winning the “Olympic Marathon”) and other peers who were “out there, doing hard stuff and getting it done”.
Books also were and continue to be motivating such as “Once a Runner” and “Born to Run” and its sequel.
Now at age 75, I am motivated to keep walking/running a priority to help with sleep as sometimes a tired body will trump an overactive mind.
In addition, I am surrounded by a number of “younger friends” who keep inspiring me as they climb Kilimanjaro and run 200 mile ultras ( Tahoe 200) and do the Grand Canyon rim - to - rim - to rim. When all these external motivators fail me, I meditate and listen to that “quiet, still, small voice” within that always tells me what I need to hear. Usually I listen and end up eating healthier, running more and thriving once again.
Lately, I have been getting energized listening to the song: The Future is Now by Marloe. I like it because it is about a human being declaring their independence from a relationship that wasn’t in their best interest. For me that can be a metaphor for any unhealthy addiction. It is a declaration of our sovereignty and the need to take responsibility for our own lives. Running is one of the many ways we can declare our sovereignty as long as it doesn’t end up controlling us.❗️
I love how this has evolved over time
Thanks Neal. My precious Dad, who lived until 94 used to say as he aged that “if you live long enough, you see it “all happen”. The good, the bad and yes, the ugly.”
The local sheriff deputies blast the Rocky theme for the runners from their loudspeakers when they notice a running group in the business zone. So awesome!
Where is that? Hysterical
The Woodlands, TX. I haven’t experienced it (not a morning runner) but have seen comments from other runners on Nextdoor about it.
Those super-long ultras just blow my mind... I have a friend who does them, and I shake my head whenever I'm around him and hear him talk about them. I wonder, how does ANYONE do that?!
I will have to check out "The Future is Now" too -- is it on Spotify or Apple Music?
And yes to this, too: "Running is one of the many ways we can declare our sovereignty as long as it doesn’t end up controlling us" -- anything can become an addiction/unhealthy, you know?
Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address.
"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc&ab_channel=Stanford
That's such a great one -- I'd forgotten about it, will have to watch it later today. Thanks for this, Andrew!
The book “ Once A Runner”!
A must Read: Out and Back by Hillary Allen
Quote from Hillary "I believe that if you really want something, you must commit yourself to finding a way through the muck. This is what drives me when things get difficult. It's at my core,"
Hillary is pretty remarkable!!!
Songs: Enter Sandman - Metallica, Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden, (My Favorite) Magic Power - Triumph.
Album: The only album you need: Appetite for Destruction - Guns & Roses
Be Safe...
Rick
LOVE "Enter Sandman" -- the opening notes alone are incredible.
Great selection, Rick!
I turned 60 a few weeks ago. I've been married for almost 27 years. Early in our marriage when we traveled, I'd see couples older than us on the beach, out at the restaurants. The wives would look fit and healthy. The husbands would often look like 5 pounds of potatoes in a 3 pound sack. I vowed to always be the husband my wife deserves. She's constantly exercising - sculling, running, lifting weights, and eating healthy. What choice do I have other than suffering to stay in shape so I don't become the overstuffed sack of potatoes she is forced to travel with? I also put the toilet seat down, so there is that value-add.
Honestly, it's so true! Thank you for putting down the toilet seat. . . makes a world of difference, especially at night! :)
We actually have his and hers bathrooms. She has the master bath with hers and hers sinks. I get the bathroom by the spare room.
Do you have a brother? 😜
He's spoken for, and thinks I'm nuts because I do what my wife asks me to do.
😂
I love that, Bob! ("five pounds of potatoes in a three-pound sack" 🤣) Very, very wise thoughts to chew on there.
Apart from this newsletter? 🤣
My wife and I both encourage each other with our running. We also both post on Strava which has a really supportive community.
It certainly does! (Are you a member of our Strava group?)
Ooo, no I’m not. Will check that out.